One big winner in the NY Philharmonic ringphone affair (and one loser)

One big winner in the NY Philharmonic ringphone affair (and one loser)

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norman lebrecht

January 15, 2012

Once the New York Philharmonic confirmed to its press department, otherwise known as the  New York Times, that the identity of the ringphone offender was exactly as described on Slipped Disc, there was no more to say about the incident except to declare one clear winner.

The general consent is that Alan Gilbert handled the matter well. He was right to stop the orchestra when the phone was louder than the strings and right to wait until the offender had shut it down.

His interviews with the New York Times – other media were denied access – struck the right blend of resolution and regret. He has emerged a more credible music director than before.

In short, Alan Gilbert has bought himself a lease of life. He remains a pallid imitation of a great conductor, a pretender to his rank. But the phone affair has shown that he is not a wimp and that he possess the resilience to hold onto his job for the immediate future. Sometimes, one phone ring is all it takes to make a leader.

Oh, and there was also a big loser: the Times was fully half a day behind eyewitness blogs. They reported the incident so vividly that print media were left quoting and requoting sources they would rather suppress.

Comments

  • Paul Ricchi says:

    We should all be thankful for this blog and others like it. I don’t always agree with it, but I respect its integrity. Long gone are the days when the print guys could say all important news is first read in newspapers. Blogs give us the news and the details, and allow for extensive and instant comments and conversations.

    • mary soilex says:

      Alan is not a great musician..NEIN! He knows his onions, but does not und I repart does not bring soul to his performances und I was aghast at the last Philharmonic concert, mein Gott,,,they were sightreading I say!!! YES , SIGHTREADING!! I say we need another meister like a Karl Bohm!!!!! Und it better be soon. I happen to agree with Paul here und with Norman !

  • Ken says:

    Seriously? A Pallid imitation of a great Conductor, a pretender to his rank? I happen to think he’s doing a fantastic job and I have a lot of respect for Alan Gilbert. You could have just said that he handled the situation well and left it at that.

  • mary soilex says:

    Alan is not a great musician..NEIN! He knows his onions, but does not und I repart does not bring soul to his performances und I was aghast at the last Philharmonic concert, mein Gott,,,they were sightreading I say!!! YES , SIGHTREADING!! I say we need another meister like a Karl Bohm!!!!! Und it better be soon.

  • MWnyc says:

    The New York Philharmonic needs a meister like Karl Bohm?? Oh, please …

    The New York Philharmonic is full of New Yorkers. They would be pelting a foul-tempered martinet like Karl Bohm with cabbages* by the end of his first week. And the musicians’ union would be filing grievances about him afterward.

    * Yes, cabbages, and maybe tomatoes and apples, too. There’s a farmer’s market across Broadway a couple of days a week.

  • Linda Grace says:

    Norm is dissing Alan because there is such a good response to him in New York that Norm’s theory that classical music is dead may be going down the tubes.

    • mary silex says:

      Nein. It aint true und dont cast aspersions of this type.
      ist a free country , I ll put in mein 10 cents, if i choose

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