Breaking: Brazil's crisis conductor forced to reduce role
mainRoberto Minczuk, who required all players in the Brazil Symphony Orchestra to re-audition for their jobs, has been made to step down as artistic director of the orchestra under pressure of international protest.
A committee of three will take over the OSB’s artistic dirtection.
Minczuk will, however, remain the orchestra’s regular conductor. His ally, Eleazar de Carvalho junior, continues as chief executive.
Here‘s a local report. I was promised a comment from the orchestra’s management several days ago but they have gone strangely quiet… This story is, I fear, not yet over. Minczuk’s will need to engage in some intensive damage limitation to his international career.
This is only partially good. We have to have a guarantee that all the fired musicians will be installed immediately. Secondly it is impossible that Mr. Minczuk can stand in front of a Brazilian orchestra for the moment, after all the damage he has caused. A last thing, Mr Eleazar must also step down. Unfortunately he took the wrong side and became Mr. Minczuk’s ally. It is simply not acceptable !
Doesn’t surprise me one bit that things have gone ‘strangely quiet.’ Carvalho is keeping his fingers crossed that these moves are sufficient to make things calm down so that they can go about their business. But this won’t be over until the illegally fired musicians have their jobs restored, and I’ll bet that for this to happen, both Carvalho and Minczuk will have to go.
Dear Mr. Lebrecht,
As you have been largely responsible for the escalation of this sad story, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask you to suggest a solution.
Here’s the conundrum. You are the conductor of a 3rd rate orchestra and desperately want to improve its standards. One of the reasons that it is third rate is that some of the players were never properly auditioned, and are simply not up to the job. However, they all have wives and families to support, and you don’t have enough financial backing to simply pension them off for life.
What would your solution be?
David: It’s absurd to imply that I am responsible for anything other than the communication of this story. The solution is one that I proposed to the OSB management some months ago: a process of conciliation through arbitration. No orchestra has ever been improved by confrontation. It takes patience, discussion, humanity – qualities that have been conspicuous by their absence.
All true enough.
But at a basic level, (nice-sounding concepts such as patience, humanity, conciliation aside), – and I’m commenting here on the scenario which David posits above, not necessarily that of the OSB – IF the issue is that some players are simply not good enough, then either [a] some element of training or personal practice is required from those who aren’t up to scratch, or [b] replacement by better players where available is required.
It is, I think, fair to suggest that there needs to be some process to identify which players would benefit from additional support and training, which are just fine, and which are significantly below par.
Given that most players have a strong dislike of the idea of a music director / conductor being “dictatorial” and calling the shots on who they think fits into those categories (see comment threads galore, most of the Halle orchestra when under Ngano, and many others), presumably there needs to be some sort of process as fair as it reasonably can be, and applied across the entire orchestra?
Full orchestral auditions seem to fit that role; if not, then what else does? No one seems to have had an answer to this.
Now, in the specific situation with the OSB, we can probably agree that it seems the management went about this ‘in the wrong way’, with a confrontational manner that was ill-disposed to a peaceful and agreeable resolution.
But the manner of engagement, however distasteful, doesn’t change the basic requirement – if we are to believe the situation – that there should be some form of process to establish just which players are of a suitable level, and which are not (following which, one can work out what to do about those who are not, whether to offer tuition and help, or replacement, or. . .).
If, I ask, that requirement exists, and if full auditions are not desirable – what is the alternative?
Where did you get this arrogant “third rate” label?
And what makes you think that Mr. Lebrecht is responsible
for anything else but making public an example of
dictatorship?
Silvio – re-read what David wrote, above. He did not apply any “third rate” label as you seem to think. He asked the general question – with a third rate orchestra (who ever they may be), what’s the best and fairest way to improve the standard? That question remains valid, surely – what is your opinion as to the best way to do this (which, as I have asked before, is fair to the players in the orchestra, to the players outside the orchestra, the audiences and those that fund the orchestra?)
Anon – if that is the case, this general question does not apply to this conversation. Orchestras change conductors for several reasons, being one of them the end of a conductors contract. Musicians, and the structure around them, change conductors and not the other way around. Here, a third rate conductor was placed in front of a first rate orchestra. Political power and incompetence is not a good combination.
Silvio – David’s question remains a valid one. If an orchestra consists of players who are less then as good as those who could replace them; if an orchestra is playing at a low standard – what is the way you suggest to improve the standard, presumably which does so in a sensible timeframe without undue cost?
If a conductor has a contract which has a definitive end point, would it be wrong to have similar for the players?
David,
The conductor should move on. You can’t turn apples into oranges. It’s not realistic
for someone to take leadership of a third world nation, for example, & turn it immediately
into a prospering country without following the rules. It’s the orchestra that’s the “given”
in this situation, not the music director. Incoming music directors must always follow
this premise.
If changes must be made, they must be subtle, diplomatic & usually over a long period of time,
esp. when there’s no money to pay the players out. Music directors have to be prepared to make compromises. They can be replaced just as easily as players. There are probably more conductors waiting in
line for Minczuk’s job than there are players to replace those he fired.
Minczuk didn’t follow the rules. He wanted to to transform an orchestra that already existed into another orch. entirely. It’s OK to tweak it, to make a few changes, but he went overboard. If he wanted a world class orchestra, he shouldn’t have taken the position in Brazil. If he wasn’t pleased with the level, he should have taken a position elsewhere.
Carl Green, and Anon
I see you have never been to Brazil or know anything about it. You also do not know the musicians of our orchestras, specially this one.
A great number of our excellent players are from European or American Orchestras.
And another great number of brazilian musicians are right now playing in top orchestras all over the world.
You do not tell to musicians of this level to go practice or take courses. It is extremely naive and, once again, arrogant. I can tell by the way you offer solutions and by your understanding of this subject that you do not have the necessary knowledge to speak about orchestra logistics.
So, do your homework carefuly before writing about something in which you are guided solely by your poor and bias view of orchestras and other countries.
Mr. Lebrecht, when you talk about justice would add that in Brazil there are laws and this process early on, was convicted of two labor courts in 1st and 2nd instantiating, where judges and justices thought the requirement for a correct assessment and according to all information placed here on this blog, you have not posted these important documents relevant to this case. I see a lot of sense because these musicians who choose not to be evaluated using the techniques are corporatist and putting the story’s point of view, and are not being true to the story. The OSB is still waiting for the musicians to come into contact with the foundation and reverse their resignations, only they do not accept returns, despite the foundation they have offered even choose their programs to be evaluated and if someone tries to break the blockade, they attack the aggressively, using terrible forms of personal slander. The problem is completely personal and I stress, this whole story was judged by the Brazilian Justice and given as illegal by the musicians fired. I think you also would not like that your justice would not be recognized.
cordially
Anon: You are looking at an orchestra with the same eyes of an economist looking at a factory.
An orchestra is not an assembly line of symphonies in which one can stamp approval labels and give
bonuses to the workers, or replace others for the sake of “productivity”.
I can tell that you are not a musician and none the less ever played in an orchestra.
Can’t get into an orchestra( professional) without auditioning.
Can’t audition if you are not previously selected for it.
So, it’s not exactly the musicians fault. An incompetent conductor WILL ruin
an orchestra’s standards by inflicting tension, terror and instability.
Silvio, I thought one of the contentions was that some of the OSB musicians had not been auditioned, or not properly.
I’m not looking at is as you suggest; you are putting words and views in my mouth which I do not ascribe to.
I’m asking – if it isn’t working, what’s the fairest way to make it better, in your view? And I mean fair to all concerned – a gentle process that waits for some poor players to eventually retire is hardly fair on the rest of the orchestral players who’s overall aim for ensemble excellence may be compromised; it’s not fair to the audience who are paying for tickets; it’s not fair on the taxpayers forced to pay for mediocrity; and it’s not really fair to some excellent musicians who may be unemployed and be keen to play in the orchestra, but who are being kept out of the job by someone in post who wasn’t appointed properly and no longer plays well enough to be there.
What is your practical suggestion as to the fairest way to resolve that?
Anon – The only one who wasn’t appointed properly was the conductor.
There will always be orchestras and excellent musicians looking for a position. For those musicians, there are proper publication of vacancies in orchestras all over the world. As soon as there are vacancies in the OSB there will be auditions. What can’t happen , and it is a shame, is for the vacations be artificially created due to power demonstration. If an orchestra doesn’t sound good, believe me: it is the conductors fault.
Silvio,
OK – so how do you recommend appointing the conductor? Once properly appointed – I guess auditioned by the musicians s/he seeks to direct? – should they hold that Principal Conductor job for life, even if they get worse and pull the orchestra’s standard down, or should the orchestra have a means to remove a conductor who’s behaviour becomes unacceptable?
If so, why does that apply to the conductor alone, and not to section leaders or other players? Is not the conductor a musician as well, and deserving of the same fair treatment you would want for all the other musicians in the orchestra too?
PS – I take your point about the conductor influencing the sound of an orchestra. A poor conductor can make a good orchestra sound not-so-good; although a top-rate orchestra will, I believe, generally rise above that and sound pretty decent, whoever is conducting.
However, even the best conductor can’t do very much with an orchestra which suffers from a few (or more) players who are below standard. If your principal oboe no longer plays in tune, or a number of violins have given up and can’t be bothered to put any effort in to playing, or whatever… then the quality of conductor tends not to change these things. If your principal horn is ‘past it’, and doesn’t have the good grace to retire, what can you do about it? Your suggestion that good, unemployed players should sit around and wait for the vacancy to arise ‘naturally’ is surely highly unfair on those players – and highly unfair on everyone in the orchestra who cringe each time there’s a horn solo, or at the wavering “A” every time they tune; and unfair on the audience too. It is also unfair to our hypothetical horn or oboe player, who, without a feedback mechanism, may not realise that s/he is no longer delivering the goods well enough and is a stock embarrassment to the band.
If you think that this situation is acceptable, then we have to disagree and leave it at that. But you wouldn’t, I hope, advocate leaving a poor heart surgeon in post just because “it’s their job and it’s fair” at the expense of better newcomers and the lives of patients?
If you don’t think the above situation is acceptable, then again – what is your suggestion to deal with it?
Mr. David seems to complain about something that the managers of fosb dislikes: the right of free speech. Since the begining of this crisis they managed to mute the brazilian midia, especially the press. It is easily understandable. The process they imposed to the orchestra is absolutely truculent, unusual and deciduous. By the other side they are used to broadcast false information trough some press devices long used to do so: newspapers and magazines known for their connivance with that kind of procedures. So they manage to keep ordinary people uninformed of the real aspects of this episode. Nevertheless, they cannot control the international community and their points of view. Thanks to that, the whole world now know a good part of what kind of absurd is going on in OSB.
Letting aside the fact of that OSB is not a third rate ensemble, but instead the most important brazilian ensemble and that some of the musicians Minczuk wanted to audition was been respected as top players not only in Brazil, but around the world (and that was the very reason for them to refuse such a unworthy step) why not to discuss the best way to improve the group with all the orchestra? Why comunicate them that they have two months to prepare for a reaudition precisely in the first day of the holidays? The answer is obvious: Minczuk wanted to frighten their musicians and sack some of them.
Minczuk has had all the best chances in his personal career. He studied in good places, very early in his life has been take under the wings of very important and competent mentors and had the opportunity of conduct great ensembles and even of being musical director of an important orchestra at the age 40. But he puts it to lose because of his need to make people suffer and his inability to properly manage his musicians. In his five years at front of OSB he never managed to present a single season with the necessary anticipation. Instead, he sacks musicians as a form of getting results from the frighten ones that remain, prevented good conductors from work with the group by fear of contempt and promotes himself as a great conductor at the expence of his musicians reputations, calling them incompetent while conducting them in very well succeded concerts. No surprise that he was detested by the musicians and that they refused to participate in a abominable process that only craved at selfpromotion and derision of the orchestra itself.
As for Mr. Anon’s conjectures of : “[a] some element of training or personal practice is required from those who aren’t up to scratch, or [b] replacement by better players where available is required.”, the first was discouraged by Minczuk, who never spared words to say how much a musician was needed and could not be substituted by someone at his level when it served his purpose of never permit nobody to take time to improve. Under his direction, musicians never could take time to do courses, sometimes been called during festivals to come back.
To the second item, it should be said that replacement, when applied to human beings, should not be a concept intended in the same terms as for, say, parts in a car. Some 10 musicians on OSB are in the time of their lifes in wich they should consider retirement, but there is a long run from giving them the opportunity to get out with dignity rather than ask them to reaudition (at the basis that they may not be able to play well enough) and then ‘replace’ them.
As for the answer that no one seems to have (!!?!), let me be short: Do a premium program for the ones that are in good shape trough paid solo recitals, stimulates chamber music on a serious basis, discuss with the artistic comission of the orchestra the cases who are not at the spected level and in the recalcitrant cases make advertences. Never, I repeat, never assume your musicians are incompetent (you will need them, because your baton makes no sound) and, please, do not fire half the band.
The process imposed on the OSB is certainly ‘deciduous’ – can tired and sere musicians in the autumn of their lives stay attached to a tree that has to shed them to survive?
Let me exemplify: OSB had a player, Mr. Noel Devos, who came to Brazil in the 40’s and played the basson, french style. This man get to knew and played under Villa-Lobos directions. When he retired, OSB lost his basoon tipical sound (now, even his pupils play the german basson. Sign of the times…). We can see his playng (yes, he still pays in his 80’s) at :http://vimeo.com/1094895
The point is: if you want elders to go home, you should ask what will be lost with them. Some things are inevitable, others could and should be avoided, like firing an entire brass section or three of the concertmasters of string sections, like in OSB. Those people take a life to construct a section, carefully evaluating players and chosing the ones that fit the sound they had in mind, using each rehersal to mould the characteristics of their sections. Any good orchestra mantain links with this traditions, wich, in the end, are the very purpose of such kind of ensemble. Why should one turn back to a tradition in the name of a alleged ‘international level’ wich nobody knows what stands for?
Many thanks for the video clip, Ademir. Noel Devos is a fine musician, of international standing. His playing features on many of my Villa-Lobos discs, and it is good to know that he is still active as a performer. Um grande abraço!
Noel Devos stands for the brazilian musical tradition that Minczuk once claimed that never existed. I suppose that his sound is in every OSB’s sacked musicians mind. It’s a crime to cut off this kind of background.
I´ll keep it short:
-Every ensemble plays as well as it is treated and respected.
but also
– only the ones deserve respect who respect themselves and are ready to fight for it every day.
Carlos, all over the world, not only as seen here in a most horrible way, musicians are being terrorized, their pensions removed, their salaries cut, they are fired for no good reason, false charges are made against them, etc. etc. Who can perform under a regime of terror and disrespect? Nobody, nowhere. Where I live a vast majority of those in charge are either competent nor do they have any self-respect- well, they won’t have any for anybody else either. Perhaps Mr. Minczuk would care to relocate here, among his peers??
I am not certain that I can agree with Carlos on this one. After recently reading Donald Peck’s (former principal flute with the Chicago Symphony) book “The Right Place at the Right Time,” I came to the immediate understanding that the orchestra all too often plays BETTER than it is treated and respected. Mr. Peck speaks of many of our “big name” conductors who visited the CSO early in their careers not having adequately prepared for the rehearsals and/or performance, rather, learning the score “on the job,” or better yet, from the musicians who knew the music much better than the visiting “maestro.” While I see this has the height of hubris, it is to the credit of every musician in the ensemble that he/she maintained the high standards that the orchestra is known for. How often has an orchestra presented an outstanding performance in spite of the character on the podium?
Carlos – easy to say, and I only wish it were so simple..
I can think of European and other orchestras who are treated well, and play poorly; and can think of Russian (and other) orchestras who are not treated well, yet play well.
If you don’t believe me then we will have to agree to disagree; I’m not prepared to name names.
what I wrote above were not my words, but words of much greater people.
If you guys disagree means you deny musicians responsibility and blame the system.
Just take as an example these two extreems- Russian and German Orchestras.
Russians play with or through the fear of getting fired (or sent to gulag;) ) no security, no rights…
Germans play out of freedom, security, respect both ways…
So where do you find more great and strong orchestras and why? And the funny thing- where are all the good russians going? -In/to German orchestras.
Now don´t take me by word, I know I made it sound very simple, but just understand my point.
Just study the orchestra world in Germany. How easy is it to fire somebody or for the politicians to shut down an orchestra? Almost impossible.
And this conditions didn´t come for free. The musicians respect themselves so much that they made everyone else respect themselves.
Anon, there are only one possible conclusion to get from your observations. That the way you treat the musicians is not definitive to the kind of sound you will get. So, why to deal with them badly? After all, they are not oranges you squeeze to get the most juice you can, they are human beings!!
Ademir, – nonsense. I’m all for treating players with respect and dignity. I’m asking you, and others, what should be done when a few players refuse to treat their fellow musicians, audiences, and others with the same respect – when a player in a long-term post no longer practices hard, no longer maintains a suitable standard… etc. Sorry, but that does happen, and when it does it is unfair to their fellow orchestral musicians (especially if they hold a principal job, but the same applies throughout), and unfair to their fellow musicians who wish to be in an orchestra but the places are taken by those who are no longer good enough to be there.
Are not the good and dedicated players thus kept out of an orchestral job also humans, and also deserving of good treatment in your book?
Is it fair for one or two players to drag down the standard of an orchestra? (I know of orchestras who record companies will refuse to make records with because of the variable quality of just one or two woodwind players, for example – is it fair to all players to deny them these opportunities, and the extra income they can provide to all concerned, because you refuse to deal with one or two problem players?)
I would hope that any decent player who realises that they are no longer capable of the standard of the orchestra they play in would have the good grace to seek early retirement or another position – that is reasonable, surely, since you would expect them to show the same respect to their fellow musicians as you would wish shown to them? Sadly, this demonstrably does not happen in many cases (even if it does some of the time).
I am asking, then, what should happen – in your opinion? How should one best deal with such a situation?
Methinks me smells something fishy.
Mr. Lebrecht, if you would permit a cross reference to another blog that is relevant here …
Right now there is a campaign on another blog to “out” poor performance in orchestras. It just keeps getting more intense with each entry. In the midst of the news about OSB that has been coming out mostly due to your allowing a forum to all sides, there were two of these blog entries in particular that referred to Mr. Minczuk’s mentor, Kurt Masur, as having “purged” the entire first violin section of the NY Philharmonic. As with most “revelations” from this particular blog author, this story was from an unattributed source. (http://www.artsjournal.com/sandow/2011/06/how_well_orchestras_play_apply.html)
To “Anonymous” in the present comment thread: Both your prose and (in my personal opinion) your uninformed position vis a vis the internal dynamics of professional orchestra cultures are AWFULLY FAMILIAR to me………………. “[Greg], is that you?”
I’ve also noticed a naivety about the internal dynamics of orchestras in the blog you mention. Perhaps it’s because the author has a background as a singer and has never played in a professional orchestra (if one at all.) Orchestras really do have unique characteristics found in no other kind of organization. People involved in arts management should know that it’s almost impossible for those who have not played in an orchestra for at least a few years to really understand their internal dynamics.
Stephen,
I am not Greg, and he is not me. I wasn’t aware of his blog, either, but an interesting read, thank you for the link.
I don’t seek to prove my understanding – or otherwise – of an orchestra’s internal dynamics, and you are entitled to your opinion. This isn’t, and shouldn’t, be about me or my background. I’m posing a question, because I want to better understand the critics: thus far on this thread, there is much heat, and little light – criticism of me, the OSB, orchestral managements… and very little offered in the way of possible actual solutions or suggestions.
I’m only trying to point out the “elephant in the room”. All around this OSB situation, the critics of it have said what they don’t like about it, and what they don’t like about the ways conductors can treat their orchestras.
But no-one (with a slight exception) has actually suggested how they would propose to tackle the general issues of poor players – which surely exist, as any orchestral player will tell you about players in their own bands, if you ask informally in the bar.
There is great concern for the livelihood of the players who are in an orchestra, and great concern expressed for fair and respectful treatment. I agree with the sentiments. But I ask again, how can one maintain that, and still maintain the standard of an orchestra? Do not players outside the orchestra who are excellent, jobless and wish to get in deserve our same respect and fairness? Does not the audience deserve it too?
Until the many critics can actually propose solutions themselves, simply carping on at every move by any orchestral management, committee or conductor to do something about maintaining or improving a standard won’t get anywhere.
Generic niceties about treating players well is all good; but it ignores what happens time and again the world over, when a minority of players do not return the same courtesy, and pull down the standard of the ensemble to the detriment of their fellow musicians.
(I recognise that the situation at the OSB is a poor one for all involved, and certainly the signs point to management that has been unsympathetic, poor at communication, and all the rest. I’m more interested though in the general situation for orchestras worldwide. What’s the best way to help them, and musicians in general?)
This is how these musicians who say they want the best quality back to FosB, attacking and disrespecting other musicians as if they owned the truth. Truth is that FosB founding a new orchestra and offered to them that and still do not accept. Well the truth is: They want anarchy! Long live anarchy!
Tradução do português para inglês
The core of the proposal by the founding president of the Musicians Union, Deborah Cheyne is the rehiring of musicians to form a new orchestra – which is already being called the B OSB – without the rule of Minczuk, who left the artistic direction of orchestra on July 15 but remains its conductor holder.
three alternative
The document, prepared by the new artistic directors of the OSB, and Pablo Fernando Bicudo Castellar, allows musicians to choose among three alternatives and the decision can be individual or collective. Here are the three options proposed by the musicians Foundation OSB:
1 – All 33 musicians will be reinstated immediately to FosB, through a new body of art that will be created by the Foundation without the baton of conductor Roberto Minczuk, without the need for performance evaluations and maintaining the same bylaws and original base salary. The institution also take care to make the payment of back wages covering all the period of negotiations, discounting only one month of suspension. The musicians of this group does not need to have dedication to the OSB, and may participate in other activities and orchestras, provided they comply with the number of functions provided by the Internal Rules.
2 – All dismissals for cause will be reversed in unfair dismissal, with the receipt of reasonable compensation to the musicians who choose not to return to the Foundation OSB.
3 – Return of 12 musicians pre-selected by the artistic direction together with the music committee of the OSB, taking into consideration the current needs of the orchestra. This return to the orchestral body will be made upon accession to the new rules of procedure and conduct performance evaluations in the form of chamber music. All others can choose between the first two options.
Grupo demitido da OSB sonha com nova orquestra
“fonte ESTADO de SÃO PAULO”
Os 33 músicos demitidos da Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira sonham formar nova orquestra. Ainda não sabem com quantos instrumentistas poderiam contar nem qual nome usariam. “A gente quer o mais rapidamente possível se livrar do rótulo de ”demitido”. Há 70 anos, a OSB nasceu do sonho de um grupo de músicos, e nada impede que isso volte a acontecer. O que fizemos sábado pode ser o embrião de uma nova orquestra”, disse o violinista Luzer Machtyngier ontem.
Ele se referia ao concerto-protesto realizado na Escola Nacional de Música, da UFRJ, por 71 músicos – 35 de outras orquestras, que se solidarizaram com a situação dos colegas, dispensados pela OSB por se recusarem a se submeter a uma avaliação de desempenho que consideraram humilhante. Há 70 anos, na mesma sala de concertos, foram feitas as audições para os primeiros integrantes da OSB.
A apresentação, antecedida de discursos emocionados e entremeada por momentos de ovação (o público presente, de mais de 600 pessoas, driblou a falta de ar condicionado e até de assentos), foi filmada pela equipe de Silvio Tendler, que fará um documentário sobre a crise na orquestra, desencadeada no início do ano. As informações são do jornal O Estado de S. Paulo.
The 33 players dismissed from the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra orchestra form a new dream. Still do not know how many musicians could not tell what name they would use. “We want as quickly as possible to shed the label of”fired.”For 70 years, the OSB was born the dream of a group of musicians, and nothing prevents this from happening again. What can be done Saturday embryo of a new orchestra, “said the violinist Luzer Machtyngier yesterday.
He was referring to the concert-protest at the National School of Music of UFRJ, for 71 musicians – 35 other orchestras, who sympathized with the plight of colleagues, dispensed by the OSB for refusing to submit to an assessment of performance considered humiliating. For 70 years, in the same concert hall, there have been auditions for the first members of the OSB.
The presentation, preceded by speeches interspersed with moments of emotion and a standing ovation (the audience of more than 600 people, fed off the lack of air conditioning and even seats), was filmed by the team of Silvio Tendler, who will make a documentary about the orchestra in crisis, triggered the beginning of the year. The information is the newspaper O Estado de S. Paul.