Monday, December 17, 2007

NY Times: Discord in the Seattle Symphony

The bad: "To judge from alarmist reports coming from here over a dozen years or so, the Seattle Symphony Orchestra has carried disharmony to new heights, lurching from crisis to crisis. There have been allegations of vandalism aimed at players, including a dented French horn and a razor blade planted in a mailbox; a players’ survey that condemned the conductor only to be deep-sixed by management; and lawsuits filed by players accusing the conductor of mental if not physical abuse."

The good: "Yet even as this soap opera has unfolded, the orchestra has continued its rise from regional ensemble to national presence. With a current roster of 88 and a budget of $22 million, it plays in one of America’s finest modern auditoriums, Benaroya Hall. It also churns out recordings while others remain mute and made its Carnegie Hall debut in 2004. It has a large and loyal audience and, as of this season, a balanced budget at a time when neither can be taken for granted."

Crazy stuff. Here's the rest.

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