Here’s an account of the concert given by the sacked musicians of the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, reported by retired oboist, Harold Emert:
Forget the wedding of the century Friday in London!Those of us who were lucky enough to pack the acoustically-perfect auditorium of Rio’s School of Music on Saturday evening heard the DOSB (Sacked OSB members–or almost half the orchestra) perform the concert of the century including: Carlos Gomes(Verdi’s Brazilian disciple) Alvorada overture,Villa Lobos “Bachianas Brasileiras no. 4,” and with Cristina Ortiz, conducting from the piano and so ably interpreting the Beethoven 4th Concerto.Osvaldo Colarusso, of Sao Paulo, was kind and brave enough to lead the finest orchestra this listener-oboist has heard in Brazil.
These young musicians surpass we oldtimers, who have perfomed these same works on tour with the OSB in Europe and the USA in the 1970s with Maestro Isaac Karabtchevsky. Everyone –or almost everyone connected to the music world in Rio including many capable Maestros,we “veterans” of the OSB, composers, students and music lovers– was present with enthusiastic bravos at this historic Manifesto-Concerto ,which appropriately began with the Brazilian National Anthem,again played marvelously.Black shirts read SOSOSB were worn by the orchestra,solo pianists and audience members,including your observer.
As far as I could see and hear,only one person-myself– screamed “Fora Minzcuk”(Out Minzcuk,current Maestro and Kadaffi ofthe OSB) – although getting rid of a musical tyrant who is haunting Rio’s musical life was what the concert was all about. Anyone who would dismiss a wonderful orchestra like the one we heard Saturday evening should have his head examined or be sent to the local mental institution for rehabilitation!
Hopefully this is a new beginning for the sacked musicians ….
And here’s the news report from O Globo.
