Seattle Symphony covers its nakedness in a flood of PR flam
NewsYou would scarcely believe from the launch of the new season that the music director, Thomas Dausgaard, flew out a few weeks ago claiming to feel threatened by the chief executive and the board.
There is no mention of Dausgaard in the season launch, or of the 104 emails that led to his departure.
Instead, we get self-congratulation and film-flam in abundance.
Read this:
Today the Seattle Symphony announces its 2022/2023 season, which features a wide range of repertoire across its full series offerings and an exciting lineup of acclaimed guest artists and conductors joining the orchestra from around the world. The upcoming season is one of continued collaboration to bring more inspiring new works and premieres to Benaroya Hall, paired with symphonic favorites and returning popular guest artists.
Seattle Symphony President & CEO Krishna Thiagarajan (pictured) said, “Music is an essential part of the human experience — it allows us to express vast creativity, imagine things beyond ourselves, and aspire to a better collective existence. When people come to Benaroya Hall and listen to the beautiful music that the Seattle Symphony creates, there is a resounding spirit of imagination and inspiration felt, arguably one that is more poignant than ever as our perspectives have shifted during a couple of trying years. The amazing support we have felt throughout the pandemic has fortified our passion and commitment to our audience, reinforcing how important music is to us all. The 2022/2023 season strongly reflects that, and next season we will continue bringing our community together to hear more new music and see better representation on our stage.
“Our 2022/2023 season has been conceived to bring people together and entice us on new voyages of discovery,” said Vice President of Artistic Planning Raff Wilson, “On our stage, the public will be able to experience some of today’s most exciting conductors and soloists, collaborating with the brilliant musicians of the Seattle Symphony. Every concert tells a totally unique story in its combination of music, performers and audience. This season is about exploring those stories together. We have a lot in store in the upcoming season, and I can’t wait to see our community at Benaroya Hall as we experience it together.”..
Today the Seattle Symphony announces its 2022/2023 season, which features a wide range of repertoire across its full series offerings and an exciting lineup of acclaimed guest artists and conductors joining the orchestra from around the world. The upcoming season is one of continued collaboration to bring more inspiring new works and premieres to Benaroya Hall, paired with symphonic favorites and returning popular guest artists.
Seattle Symphony President & CEO Krishna Thiagarajan said, “Music is an essential part of the human experience — it allows us to express vast creativity, imagine things beyond ourselves, and aspire to a better collective existence. When people come to Benaroya Hall and listen to the beautiful music that the Seattle Symphony creates, there is a resounding spirit of imagination and inspiration felt, arguably one that is more poignant than ever as our perspectives have shifted during a couple of trying years. The amazing support we have felt throughout the pandemic has fortified our passion and commitment to our audience, reinforcing how important music is to us all. The 2022/2023 season strongly reflects that, and next season we will continue bringing our community together to hear more new music and see better representation on our stage.
“Our 2022/2023 season has been conceived to bring people together and entice us on new voyages of discovery,” said Vice President of Artistic Planning Raff Wilson, “On our stage, the public will be able to experience some of today’s most exciting conductors and soloists, collaborating with the brilliant musicians of the Seattle Symphony. Every concert tells a totally unique story in its combination of music, performers and audience. This season is about exploring those stories together. We have a lot in store in the upcoming season, and I can’t wait to see our community at Benaroya Hall as we experience it together.”
Why on earth would the SSO mention him on their season announcement? They’re moving forward not looking backward.
Let me mention my crazy ex girlfriend on my online dating profile. That should work, right?!
This is dumb, sorry.
On the other hand, they should care to move forward with an audience, of which I am a member that cares about what is going on and what has gone down. I do not equate this matter with that of your crazy ex girlfriend.
The SSO admins, much like someone with a string of “crazy ex girldriends”, might need to look in the mirror and clean house.
Yeah, all those conductors play around.
As has been covered in earlier posts on this topic, the “exes” are far from crazy. In fact, they have risen to some of the most prominent posts in both the UK and US. The SSO board of directors needs to “eat its Wheaties” and find the strength needed to right the ship.
But what does that have to do with the current season announcement? Is the SSO supposed to sit in stasis until the internet pundits get their way on an administrative issue that they don’t know the whole story of? The point is that the SSO is trying to move on and has announced a pretty great season, yet rather than issue his opinion on the quality of said season, Norman just continues to grind his ax based on his personal relationships. I know we all know this isn’t really a true news site, but the standards should at least be high enough that the actual information is shared, rather than personal attacks.
Every orchestra issues such blather when promoting their new season. Why on Earth would they mention Dausgaard? But they do have Marin Alsop, David Robertson and Osmo Vanska – aren’t you going to start mentioning them as contenders for the MD job (which may not be that far-fetched)?
Placing Alsop, Robertson and Vanska into a theoretical candidate pool, would clearly expose a lack of the optimism, excitement and vitality desired from a search and MD appointment. Each one of these well regarded maestros has had a lengthy appointment with initial successes…but in world where the “dream successor” to Dausgaard, able to complete the Sibelius cycle with virtuosity and deep meaning, would surely be someone like Klaus Makela (sorry Seattle, out of your current league), these veterans are not what skilled artistic administrators are looking for, they are looking for impact and excitement on the podium and off.
Eh oui KM est “pris” et passer de Paris ou Oslo ou il est chez lui à Seattle n’est qu’un reve .
Qualité de vie, proximité, salaires sont sans doute des arguments forts et par dessus tout les 2 orchestres dont il est le titulaire sont des formations de qualité supérieure au SSO .
Dausgaard notwithstanding, the announcement contains no specific programming. Just a serving of pablum.
If you look at the actual announcement, there’s plenty of info. Norman not mentioning this is a case of selected reading to fit the already decided narrative. https://seattlesymphonypress.squarespace.com/pressreleases/2223-season-announcement
No Kidding.
It’s a gorgeous season. When did any season announcement ever reference a former season?
Let alone discuss internal difficulties.
But I read the MEAT of the is story you linked, and all I can feel is envy. And admiration. Top artists from all over the world seem disposed to appear with this orchestra.
The actual listing of concerts is hardly “unique” involving “exciting journeys of discovery”; mostly same old same old with one or two exceptions.
Btw, the word “journey(s)” is fad word du jour as in “my personal journey” blah blah which is getting awfully threadbare.
Why do these nonentities feel the need to make these pompous and well-nigh meaningless statements ? And why do they not realise that when you have had a catastrophic fallout with your conductor , the prospective audience might just deserve some kind of explanation about a. what has gone wrong and b. how matters are to progress from hereon ?
Because the orchestra itself remains? The musicians of the SSO are the ones producing sound and music. You do know that waving a baton around in the air produces no music at all, right?
Additionally, the President/CEO and Vice President of Artistic Planning of the SSO are by definition quite a bit above “nonentities”. WTF.
Get real. When did you ever see an artistic institution admit to anything? Their flaks are in the business of promotion, not explanation.
If such an explanation is provided, it’s not likely to be in the brochure for the coming season, which is a promotional material.
I’m all for transparency but I don’t know how an organization would provide a public explanation that would satisfy anyone; either they come off looking vindictive (my favorite, “These are the complaints of a disgruntled ex-employee…”) or tone-deaf. They’re probably not going to say “We screwed that up,” and if this is the case, since much of the issue seems to be with their President/CEO, chances are he’s not going to say “We’re sorry to see Thomas Dausgaard go; I really messed up;” we’ll know that ‘s the story if 1) they can’t get a decent replacement and/or 2) he gets fired before long.
My guess is because they’re trying to appeal to ‘newbees’ who do not regularly go to the symphony, and would have no knowledge of the Dausgaard flap to begin with. What are they going to say, “By the way, we’re known for intimidating our Musical Directors”?
they had to announce a season
what would you expect them to do??
Most of us in the audience lack the necessary wealth to influence and gain access to information on the politics happening in the symphony’s back rooms. We are not considered worthy of management’s accountability. Our role is simply to buy tickets and be inspired. “No concern of your it is, you know ‘tis ours.” (Jupiter in Cymbeline)
Why not just look at the season brochure, see what the repertory and guest artists are, and judge the season on those grounds?
I’d rather see them comment on what they’re doing to keep their patrons safe seeing how 3rd avenue now looks like a 3rd world country.
Disinformation. I went through 3rd Ave. yesterday. It did not seem a 3rd world country. BTW, the area of multiple entrances around Benaroya Hall are quite safe. If you are afraid to see someone sitting on the street I suggest you simply park in the underground garage and access the hall without having to see anything unpleasant. Or take an Uber and get dropped off right at the door.
You were lucky. Prior to the March 5 SSO concert, we had a casual dinner at the Seattle Art Museum. Leaving the museum, we encountered a gentleman sitting on the sidewalk on First Ave. sticking a needle in his arm. As we walked up University Street, another individual sitting on the steps literally adjacent to Benaroya Hall was heating a piece aluminum foil and smoking whatever. Neither directly threatened us, so I guess it’s all good.
But the concert that night was terrific, including Pierre Laurent Aimard playing the Bartok Second concerto.
If you close your eyes and/or only go outside during certain times of the day, 3rd world countries look safe too.
“Every concert tells a totally unique story.” That sounds a lot like the title of a Rod Stewart album from fifty years ago.
Just what left coast, left loon Seattle deserves. Maybe the sso can play some community concerts in CHAZ.
How is this any different than any performing arts organization trying to move forward from non-ideal situations in the previous year? Do you think the Met is going to put on their PR announcements stuff about their stagehands going on strike? Is the NY Philharmonic going to talk about how bad the acoustics were at their old hall? lol
How are the acoustics now, by the way? )Serious unsnarky question).
Too early to say. They’ve made very fast progress, but the renovation is not yet finished.
I wonder how they manage to find those brain dead individuals to write those cliche ridden fluff notices.
What the SSO is doing is selling a season of great music, to be played by world class guest artists and a fantastic orchestra, to their subscribers, one that had to be largely re-programmed and re-packaged after it was already put to bed, an incredible amount of work for an over-extended staff, and they have done a bloody good job. No thanks to the timing of Dausgaard’s participation in the great resignation, or the reasons behind it. This new season is a tribute to all of the amazing staff of the Symphony who have just put their heads down and got on with it, while Norman is shit-stirring and higher ups pretend there’s no “there” there.
We’ll assume you’re one of the ‘amazing staff’.
Poor little orchestra in the hands of headless chicken bullies without a principal conductor for a long time …..
This reminds me of how the NY Phil memory-holed Phil Myers back in 2017.
I knew they were in trouble when they hired Krishna instead of Siva or Vishnu.