He cited personal reasons–he can’t sell his house in Denver–but didn’t seem to interested in sharing with Scott Cantrell of the Dallas Morning News. Asked about how the board reacted, Adams responded, “I don’t want to talk about it.”
His resignation comes on the heels of a D Magazine profile on Adams and the problems he’s facing raising money in a competitive philanthropic Dallas market. Maybe he just got tired of the rat race down there.
They’ve set up their own website to make their case (dsomusicians.com), which I found out on Twitter (@dsomusicians).
In tough times, musicians have a skill for coming up with creative solutions to keep their art alive. Why, once a contract is signed, don’t they demonstrate that same energy and creativity? Why aren’t orchestras–which are, at base, the musicians–harnessing all that creative power–to organize, program, present, and communicate–when times are good to build their audience and make themselves relevant?
Naxos will start distributing Warner Classics CDs here in the US, starting September 1. There is no digital component to this deal, and it looks as if Warner’s plan is to offload this expensive, shrinking revenue stream to the independent company so that it can focus on other things. As John Kelleher, head of Warner Classics and Jazz puts it: “(this deal) enables Warner Classics to re-focus our efforts on growing our digital business in the region, as well as bolstering our A&R activities.”
To anyone paying close attention, this isn’t a surprise. In a conversation with Tim Smith of the Baltimore Sun, Naxos founder Klaus Heymann let it slip that this deal was done. Naxos has been growing stronger as a distributor over the last five years or so, particularly here in the US. And classical divisions have been the ugly stepsisters in major label families for a couple of decades.
Major labels have always looked down on the upstart Naxos, and it’s hard to say whether this is indicative of how far the latter has come, or how far Warner has fallen.
When I ask around, looking to bum $1 million, I get a very different response than Dallas Symphony CEO Douglas Adams gets. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever asked anyone for $1 million.
In this D Magazine article, you’ll get a discussion of giving fatigue in a city where business leaders feel they need to maintain (or develop) Dallas as a world-class city with arts institutions; and an interesting quotation from music director Jaap van Zweden on his role as a fundraiser.
In his article on the Philadelphia Orchestra’s plans to re-invent itself in the face of a “structural deficit,” Peter Dobrin quotes Executive Director Allison Vulgamore: “We’re going to have to earn more money, going to need to attract donors back … who have been waiting and wondering, and, frankly, we’re going to have to measure the cost structure a little bit.”
So, I’m not quite sure what a “cost structure” is, but I do know that if the Philadelphia Orchestra is going to want people to give money, they’ll need to be honest about not just how much they’re spending, but what they’re spending it on.
That’s what’s so galling–and counterproductive–about the orchestra’s unwillingness to discuss the value of Yannick Nezet-Seguin’s contract. It could have been a great opportunity to educate the public on the value of a music directors to the overall quality of the institution that donors are giving money to. Instead, they politely “decline” to discuss it, even as their board chair mentions bankruptcy.
If you want people to give you money–more importantly, if you want them to really believe in you–you’ve got to be straight with them.
To further celebrate his birthday, here’s William Schuman appearing on What’s My Line in 1962, only a few months after taking on the job as president of Lincoln Center, and just before the premiere of his Symphony No. 8 in Philharmonic (now Avery Fisher) Hall.
On the Exploring Music blog, you can hear McLaughlin talk about Schuman’s Symphony No. 3. It’s a great piece, but Circus Overture brings back fond memories. Back when my son was two years old, I used to bounce him around on our bed while listening to this piece. Can’t do that now.
As Marcia Adair points out in herLos Angeles Times article today, the appointment of Yannick Nezet-Seguin as the next Philadelphia Orchestra music director may have been a bit of a surprise to some, not necessarily because of his youth–a lot of American orchestras are choosing young leaders–but more because he’s only appeared a couple of times with the group.
Adair looks back on Nezet-Seguin’s career to point out that he has never been one to move gradually in his career, and the orchestra clearly sees his lack of experience with them as no kind of roadblock to success. Both sides are gushing over each other.
Peter Dobrin of the Philadelphia Inquirer, quoted in the article, sees Nezet-Seguin’s hiring, and the hiring of young conductors in general, as the result of a dearth of experienced, world-class, 50-somethings on the podium.
Young conductors are no doubt cheaper, and the Philadelphia Orchestra can’t afford to throw a lot of money around right now. We won’t get to find out for a while how much they’re paying Nezet-Seguin: the orchestra won’t say. Is this even legal?
For those of you who understand French, here’s a video of Jennifer Love-Hewitt talking about Nezet-Seguin. I haven’t watched it yet, but maybe you’ll like it.
We just got back from a two-day, one-night trip with Mom and Dad to Prince Edward Island: bridge over, ferry back. We had the perfect beach weather for our stay at Cavendish.
Alex and Caitlin met a sprightly young fella who’s living in Memphis by way of Cleveland. When I asked him if he was Canadian, he replied, “I don’t know what that is, but I’m not.”
We stayed a the Stanley Bridge Country Resort, which gets a bad rap by some reviewers on Tripadvisor.ca for being a little ragged. It’s true that it could use better TVs–and covers on the duvets–but it was clean, the staff was helpful, and the restaurant served good food efficiently. All six of us were content.
Today, we made our way to Charlottetown. We toured Province House, where the PEI legislature holds its sessions in a room that can charitably described as intimate. Province House, a national historic site, also hosted a conference in 1864 where the so-called Fathers of Confederation set in motion the creation of the Dominion of Canada.
Vanessa and I now have Charlottetown on our list of places we would like to live. There are well-stocked used bookstores, good restaurants, and a couple of colleges; it’s also very easy to get around on foot. It’s just a fun place to be.
The Pittsburgh Symphony is budgeting a deficit of almost $900,000 for the coming fiscal year. And it looks as if that budget gap could be greater if they don’t get all of the $1.25 million that they’re requesting from a county agency that redistributes the proceeds of a 1% sales tax to arts and culture organizations.
This will be the third year in a row that they orchestra posted a deficit.
Mark Likes Music 
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