Pain in Spain as Alondra gains major role
OrchestrasThe Orchestra and Choir of the Community of Madrid has appointed Alondra de la Parra as chief conductor and artistic director, starting this summer. De la Parra, 43, succeeds the Polish conductor Marzena Diakun, who leaves after a single one-year term.
De la Para, who is Mexican, has so far held two short appointments. She was artistic director of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco from 2012 to 2013 and of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra from 2017 to 2019. The Australian venture ended unhappily.
An insider tells us: ‘Some colleagues in Madrid are shocked and angered with the decision, but are afraid to talk openly about it. They won’t criticise a female conductor.’
See our comments section for further pained reactions.
As a Spaniard and fellow musician, I am very unhappy by the appointment of Mexican “conductor” Alondra de la Parra to this position with the Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid, particularly when the current music director, Polish conductor Marzena Diakun, was doing a good job.
Any trained musician would swiftly realize not only Alondra’s lack of technical abilities but also a deficiency in high-quality musical and artistic perspective. I struggle to envision what she will contribute to the orchestra, beyond enhancing its international recognition (she’s popular for reasons I can’t understand). It appears that this decision has been influenced at a political level within the Comunidad de Madrid.
Alondra de la Parra and her managers have persistently sought positions in Spain for her. Initially, they pursued a role with the Spanish National Orchestra (OCNE), but faced rejection from the musicians. Subsequently, a substantial media campaign, including appearances on mainstream media (including TV programs such as “La Resistencia”, targeted youth audiences), along with engagements with orchestras in Galicia, the Canary Islands and others. Despite a stint at Liceu for Turandot, the critics were far from impressed and her name was not considered as an option for Barcelona’s opera.
This is distressing news. I have no reservations in expressing my lack of respect for Alondra de la Parra as a conductor and hope for a very short tenure.
Parece que a Alondra se le calentó la boca en un ensayo y medio insinuó que iba a ser la siguiente titular de la ONE, y cuando los músicos de la Orquesta Nacional se enteraron no sentó bien. Pero no sé si eso es así o no.
Pero si que es cierto que la gente está cabreada, pero si dicen que les parece mal les llaman “misóginos” o “machistas” y ahí acaba la cosa.
Wow. Words were not minced, here.
And it’s the same one or two people criticizing her over and over here under different pseudonyms, then up-voting their own comments dozens of times. I suspect this person must have had a run-in with de la Parra at one point.
Perhaps this esteemed site might benefit by dividing the page into three sections: the text which the commenters comment on, the main comments of the commenters, and ‘footnotes,’ on issues which aren’t about the main issue or issues but which do have some relevance. I don’t say that this should be considered as a realistic possibility, obviously. This is a comment which would definitely be suited to a footnotes section, if it ever came about, not that it will. I do comment on one ‘mainstream’ issue, though: productions of Bizet’s Carmen.
I’m not sure that ‘GV’ would recognize this or agree with this, perhaps not, but Spain’s ranking in the world of music – the kind of music discussed on this site – isn’t a very high one. It’s not as if the appointment of Alondra de la Parra is an affront to Spain’s reputation as a centre of musical excellence. This isn’t a country of universal musical mediocrity either, of course. Obviously, there are exceptions such as the cellist Pablo Casals to take into account, as well as many contemporary musicians.
But to get to the point, to name the issue which this footnote is about, Spain – not all of Spain, but certainly including Madrid and so many other places – is a barbaric country. Similarly Mexico and France – not all of France, but many places in Southern France. I’m referring to one issue and one issue only – which is bullfighting, of course.
For an insight into what the people of Madrid get up to, or many of them do, this is an instructive video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaNbZl-HSoQ&ab_channel=
RandomScenesAroundthePlanet
At 8.00 into the video, the matador prepares to kill the bull. The bull has already been stabbed with the lance of the picador, not shown stabbing this particular bull, and stabbed with six barbed banderillas.
8.06. The matador stabs the bull with the sword intended to kill the bull. In the majority of bullfights, the sword fails to kill the bull outright, including all the bulls in this video. With the sword embedded in its back, the bull is still very much alive but before long collapses. (Often, bulls take much longer than this.)
8.54 The bull is stabbed repeatedly in the spine with a dagger, the ‘puntilla.’ The bullfighting crowd is exultant and calls for the matador to be awarded an ear of the bull or both ears of the bull by waving of handkerchiefs. In the meantime, the horses which remove the bodies of the bulls appear and the bull is dragged away. The ear or ears have been cut off to present to the matador.
10.12. The horses unexpectedly are made to stop.
10.30. The bull is stabbed in the spine again with the dagger. The bull has been dragged along the sand, the ears of the bull have been cut off, when the bull was still alive, it seems! The previous stabbings with the dagger, like the sword of the matador, have failed to kill the bull.
10.44. The bull is now presumably dead, dead for certain, and the dragging from the arena resumes.
11.00. The matador holds up the two ears he’s been awarded.
The corrida resumes, the other bulls are stabbed and killed, not one of them instantly. For footage of a picador on a (blindfolded horse) stabbing a bull with a lance, 39:50 is a place to see what happens.
The horses of the picadors now have some protection. Before the introduction of protection, the ‘peto,’ in 1929, forty horses could be killed in the bullring in a single bullfight, often by being disembowelled. Horses can still be disembowelled. The horses of the mounted bullfighters i the ‘rejoneo’ are unprotected. A film which shows the sufferings of horses before the introduction of the peto, including disembowelling:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCTrLWncSjs&list=PLEB32230D46060ADD&index=46&ab_channel=guilledh
This was the kind of bullfighting which Bizet’s Carmen watched, the kind of bullfighting which Bizet’s matador, Escamillo, practised. Productions of ‘Carmen’ are taking place this year at the Royal Opera House, Glyndebourne and the Metropolitan Opera amongst other places. Past productions of the opera have adopted very, very different methods of incorporating bullfighting into the production. I’ll return to this issue later.
In Roman amphitheatres, the crowd watched gladiators fight, often to the death, watched the slaughter of animals and watched the execution of the people referred to as ‘noxii,’ often killed in grotesquely barbaric ways. Gladiatorial combat wasn’t the only attraction for the crowd. The surviving legacy of the Roman amphitheatre is bullfighting. In Arles and Nîmes in Southern France, the bullfights take place in the same arenas where these hideous Roman spectacles took place and the bullfights, specifically the ‘corrida’ – take the same form.
The legacy of the Greek theatres – to name just one, the Theatre at Epidauros – is very different. If the literary achievement of Greek theatre has a claim upon our attention, there were other aspects of Greek theatre which came to have a vast and varied influence. Greek theatre was a spectacle as well as a form of literature, combining words with music and dance. The ancient Greeks never attempted opera – its invention was an Italian achievement – but by their use of music they paved the way for opera – unlike bullfighting, a glorious achievement, incomparably wider, deeper, more important.
The supposed ‘artistry’ of the bullfight has to be compared with the rich, radiant, complex, powerful, often transcendently beautiful art-works which have been created in painting, architecture, theatre, instrumental music, vocal music, opera production and other arts. Schiller referred to the stage as ‘Die Bretter, die die Welt bedeuten.’ ‘The boards that signify the world.’
Is Madrid one of the world’s leading cultural centres? Is it a centre of excellence, a beacon of civilized values? Hardly. There’s a more favourable view, of course, but it has to be qualified.
The European Union has strict regulations governing the slaughter of farm animals, of course – but the regulations don’t apply to the multiple stabbings of bulls in bullfighting arenas.
A note: my approach to animal welfare (I use the term ‘animal welfare,’ not ‘animal rights’) is based on realism, as I see it. I oppose animal rights fanatics and I think that there are many objections to veganism. I also think that there are no cogent arguments whatsoever in favour of the corrida, its continued existence. I think that the corrida should be abolished by any state or territory which values its reputation.
I think that opera houses presenting ‘Carmen’ need to give a great deal of thought to the presentation of bullfighting in the production. Trying to eliminate bullfighting from the production entirely or in large part is difficult, given the fact that bullfighting is embedded in the opera. The approach taken by the Metropolitan Opera, converting the bullfight into rodeo, is one possibility but encounters difficulties.
Wonderful unnecessary nonsense. Please, Norman, remove this BS from this ********.
Agree. And it’s not even wonderful. This guy is a nutcase.
Gnädige Frau, it’s best not to make light of
censorship, surely. Free expression can never be an unrestricted right but it should be granted unless there are very good reasons not to. You know yourself that Norman Lebrecht isn’t going to remove material which has already been moderated and which is now in the public domain.
Which leads me to another issue. Whenever I have the time, I like to revise things I’ve written, often discarding whole sections, making all kinds of improvements. Although it’s possible to edit a comment after it’s been published, it would seem that it’s a fairly cumbersome process. Given the choice, I prefer systems which allow the commenter to readily revise comments. Apart from that, the system here works very well.
If the opportunity for revision had been available to you, who knows, you might well have been able to think of improvements. I’d say your comment is a joke comment and that the joke wasn’t worth publishing. Obviously, I wouldn’t want the so-called joke removed.
OMG, Paul Hurt. I can’t even read this, it is so ignorant. What are you even doing on this site? Do you know anything about the world or classical music at all?
Spain’s international ranking in music is currently one of the highest in the world. The fact that the only thing you know about Spain is bullfighting & Carmen shows your ignorance & lack of knowledge.
I cannot even begin to address your idiocy. Look at the rosters of Berlin Phil, NY Phil & great orchs in the UK & around the world & you will see Spaniards occupying prominent positions.
Look at the great Spanish conductors from Fruhbeck de Burgos to Lopez Cobos to the current day with the likes of Pablo Heras-Casado or Juanjo Mena occupying international podiums. Or Spanish soloists like Maria Duenas or Pablo Sainz-Villegas.
Have you never heard of Albeniz or de Falla or Rodrigo or the great Spanish film composers of today who are winning Academy Awards?
What is it exactly that you think you know about music at all if you are not aware of Spain’s contributions to classical music? Go back to school.
Dear Anon,
Thanks so much for your reply! In general, I don’t think it’s a good idea to include autobiographical information in a comment and if it is done, it should be done sparingly. I think I can just about justify including some information here. I don’t feel in the least defensive in the face of your withering criticism but I think just a bit of self-defence is in order: nothing aggressive or very abrasive, you’ll find.
I was a cellist before converting to the violin and viola. I’m so glad I did. I’ve been an orchestral player and string quartet player, but not professionally. One of the many reasons why I made the change, in my late twenties, was the experience of playing the cello in a public performance of Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante K 364, which left me with the wish to be able to play the solo violin and viola parts of this profound and overwhelming work.
I’d played the Bach cello suites over the years but the same works would be available to me to play in viola transcription, given sufficient time, as well as playing repertoire new to me, as a player at least, the Bach sonatas and partitas for unaccompanied violin – but not the more difficult bits, and there are far more difficult bits, very difficult bits, in the violin works than in the cello works. The Chaconne in D minor is obviously the prime example.
I studied the violin with the Hungarian violinist Rudolf Botta. The composer Philip Venables contacted me to say that he was writing a violin concerto which included text as well as music. It would be a tribute to Rudolf Botta and receive its world premiere at a Proms concert. He’d seen a piece I’d written on an aspect of violin technique. He knew that I’d studied with Rudolf Botta. Could he include some of the writing in his violin concerto? I agreed, of course. My name, and my writing, are part of the work and were part of the performance, but only an incidental, very minor part, of course. The work, entitled ‘Venables plays Bartok,’ was played at the Proms concert of 17 August, 2018 by Pekka Kuusisto and the BBC Symphony Orchestra was conducted by Sakari Oramo.
To go back to the issue of defence, I’m sure you’ll be familiar with the celebrated saying, ‘Cet animal est très méchant, Quand on l’attaque il se défend.’ I won’t translate it – someone as cosmopolitan as yourself won’t need a translation. And of course, translations are subject to difficulties, summarized in the famous Italian phrase, ‘Traduttore, traditore’
I see the need for knowledge (using knowledge in a very broad sense) to be wide-ranging if at all possible, but only when appropriate, of course. As I see it, music has many, many linkages not just with other artistic forms but subjects seemingly far distant. The philosopher Ludgwig Wittgenstein wrote in ‘Philosophische Untursuchungen, (Section 593) ‘Eine Hauptursache philosophischer Krankheiten – einseitige Diät: man nährt sein Denken mit nur einer Art von Beispielen.’ Again, I won’t translate it, for the same reason.
As for Wittgenstein, I strongly prefer his earlier work, ‘Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus.’ As you’ll know, the title was suggested by G. E. Moore as homage to Baruch Spinoza’s ‘Tractatus Theologico-Politicus’ of1670. If I had to choose, I think that I prefer Spinoza’s ‘Ethica Ordine Geometrico demonstrata’ because I have a strong interest in ethical theory (and Philosophy of Science) but I have to admit that Spinoza is a philosopher I’ve neglected. I don’t suppose I’ll ever get round to reading his ‘Ethica. ‘ I don’t know if you’ll agree with me or disagree with me, but I think that the treatment of ethics by methods similar to the methods of axiomatic Euclidean geometry doesn’t seems to me to be a fruitful project.
Just one more thing, Anon. You make a claim but you don’t make a case for Spanish composers. I couldn’t spare the time for making the case for English composers and I couldn’t possibly justify the use of space on this site for that purpose. So, I’ll have to just give a bare assertion: to name just one English composer, Benjamin Britten, and to name just one of his works, Peter Grimes, the opera Peter Grimes is worth any number of works by any number of Spanish composers. I’ll name a second example after all, from a work not nearly as well known, the ‘Courtly Dances’ from Britten’s ‘Gloriana.’ My view is that these are worth any number of works by any number of Spanish composers. I have to qualify this: Spanish composers known to me and works by Spanish composers known to me.’ I’m aware of the crudity of this way of proceeding but restrictions of space make it inevitable in this case.
Britain was once referred to as ‘Das Land ohne Musik.’ Not any longer.
How long and boring!
Excellence or mediocrity? Or something in between? A possible way of evaluating Spanish music. If you have confidence in your view, Anon, see if you can find fault with the method I outline here. Perhaps you could propose a better one – or perhaps not. It’s not a method which makes use of sophisticated statistical analysis in the least, but for all that, I think it’s capable of generating significant results.
The method makes unavoidable use of sampling, but there are ways of reducing bias. The records of works performed by orchestras, smaller ensembles and chamber groups, down to the level of concerts by individual soloists, give a ready way of finding out how prominent works by Spanish composers have been in concert schedules, although a great deal of work would be needed to produce a comprehensive account. I don’t deal here with such issues as descriptive and evaluative methods, quantitative and qualitative methods.
It would be very instructive to find out which works have been performed by the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, which is based in Seville. How many works by Spanish composers have been performed by the orchestra in the last ten years (or a shorter period)? Very many, or very few? A similar investigation would give results for the smaller West-Eastern Divan Ensemble.
What are the results for a larger sample, comprising a much wider range of orchestras and groups of musicians? What are the results for a sample of British orchestras, European orchestras, American orchestras, orchestras in other parts of the world? What are the results for the works played at music festivals and at competitions? Would the results confirm the views of Anon and people who have similar views concerning the strengths of Spanish music or not?
I would think it’s overwhelmingly likely that the claims of Anon wouldn’t be confirmed. There are, of course, ways of making the results confirm these views, as well as a range of possible excuses.
Oh, Paul Hurt, your ignorance stings, my dear!
Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, Teresa Berganza, Montserrat Caballé, Victoria de los Ángeles, Bernabé Martí, Pilar Lorengar, Jaime Aragall, Gaspar Cassadó, Jordi Savall, Pablo Casals, Pablo Ferrández, María Dueñas, Leticia Moreno, Federico Mompou, Xavier Montsalvatge, Pablo Sarasate, Isaac Albéniz, Enrique Granados, Manuel de Falla, Ricardo Viñes, Joaquín Rodrigo, Rafael Orozco, Joaquín Achúcarro, Nicanor Zabaleta, José Iturbi, Francisco Tarrega, Antonio Soler, Tomás Luis de Victoria, Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga, Ataúlfo Argenta, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Josep Pons, Jesús López Cobos, Pablo Heras-Casado, Gustavo Gimeno, Miguel Ángel Gómez Martínez, Pablo González, Juan Mena… all of them Spaniards, and almost every orchestra in the EU and the UK has Spanish musicians (particularly in the wind sections).
But perhaps you’re not acquainted with these luminaries, as your focus appears to be fixated on bullfighting—a practice that doesn’t command widespread interest in Spain, that is banned in some parts of Spain and is also practiced in France and Portugal.
But, please, by all means bore us with your nonsense.
Summary of your piece:
1st paragraph: condescension, or an attempt at condescension.
2nd paragraph, a long, long, list. It seems interminable, it almost seems as if you’ll be including – eventually – any Spanish musicians who currently occupy the last few desks of the second violin section of the Moose Jaw (Canada) Philharmonic, but then the list ends. What a relief!
You’re quite right! I’ve never heard of most of them. How many musicians outside Spain, how many musicians inside Spain, for that matter, will have heard of such people as Bernabé Martí, Pilar Lorengar, María Dueñas, Leticia Moreno, Federico Mompou, Xavier Montsalvatge, Rafael Orozco, Joaquín Achúcarro, Nicanor Zabaleta, José Iturbi, Francisco Tarrega, Antonio Soler, Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga, Ataúlfo Argenta, Gustavo Gimeno, Miguel Ángel Gómez Martínez? This is like an extract from some Monty Python sketch.
3rd paragraph: parting sneer, ‘by all means bore us with your nonsense.’ Sorry to be critical, but I do find your list boring. I suppose that in some circumstances it could be soothing, soporific.
More important, you don’t distinguish levels of achievement. The real but relatively modest achievement of Falla can’t possibly be equated with the achievement of Mahler or Alban Berg or many others. William Austin, the author of ‘Music in the 20th century,’ gives this concise verdict, after outlining his genuine achievement: ‘Andre Coueuroy’s Dictionnaire critique maintains that ‘with Ravel, Bartok, Stravinsky, and Schoenberg, he dominated European music after the death of Debussy.’ But this must be dismissed as wishful thinking.’
Of the people in your list, the one I’m most familiar with is the cellist Pablo Casals. William Austin claims that he probably gave more to 20th century music than Falla, although the achievement he discusses includes achievement in extra-musical matters. Casals really was remarkable – but in your list he’s just one name among many.
“How many musicians outside Spain, how many musicians inside Spain, for that matter, will have heard of such people as Bernabé Martí, Pilar Lorengar, María Dueñas, Leticia Moreno, Federico Mompou, Xavier Montsalvatge, (etc.)…”
That’s a joke, right? You’ve never heard of most of them, ergo neither has anyone else?
Bullfights, Carmen, Pablo Casals. Last visit to Spain around 1965, maybe.
They are all a lot more successful and internationally relevant than a composer writing for, let’s say, Compact Theatre, Hants Schools TiE, Derbyshire County Youth Theatre, and Buxton Opera House.
This man should research and read who they are. It would good if he educated himself before commenting here.
Hurt’s comments are perfect examples freudian psychological projection. It must be very sad to be Paul.
I think that ‘Slipped Disc’ needs to be very careful. I’d claim that ‘Slipped Disc’ is vulnerable. I’ll explain why. The stream of invective, the insulting remarks about me, are far from harmless, for reasons I’ll explain. The remarks survived the process of moderation. I now need to give some basic information. If it doesn’t survive the process of moderation, if this comment isn’t accepted for publication, then I intend to take action. Giving the person criticized a right of reply – an effective right of reply – is or should be very important for ‘Slipped Disc.’ Is it?
I don’t have a business. My (unpaid) work, takes the form of a series of projects. Most of the projects aren’t concerned with matters which potentially have commercial value. Here, I’ll concentrate attention on one project which is very different.
First of all, extracts from some basic information about ‘Online defamation’ from ‘Keystone Law:’
‘Whether statements take the form of tweets, videos, reviews, or other comments, defamatory comments can have a materially damaging impact on a person’s personal life and their career.’
‘Defamatory statements are statements that cause, or are likely to cause, serious harm to a person’s or organisation’s reputation, irrespective of whether they were made maliciously or were just simply ill-conceived. Where those statements are made within the last 12 months, it may be possible to bring a claim under the law of defamation.’
I’ve not the least intention of bringing a claim under the law of defamation in connection with adverse comments on this page. But I strongly believe that Slipped Disc is at fault and that these aren’t trivial issues. Effective action doesn’t have to take the form of legal action. I do have other forms of effective action available to me.
My work is very wide-ranging. One project is concerned with water collecting, water conservation and composting (which amongst other advantages has importance in water conservation.)
I have a Patent Pending and a Non-provisional Patent application registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). I’ve carried out original work on water collecting surfaces and water conservation at the garden level but this patent and patent application are concerned with innovation at the farm level.
The invention title is, ‘Integrated dual layer structure and structure-group system
with modifiable components and configurations for growing, protected cropping, protected working, materials handling, water collecting and water conservation for use in vineyards and orchards and as a polytunnel substitute.’
The invention offers wide-ranging and very substantial advantages in mitigating the effects of climate change. To mention just one, drought. Large areas of Spain, to give just one example, have been ravaged by drought. Amongst other advantages, the invention offers means of collecting very large quantities of rainwater (and other forms of precipitation) which would otherwise be wasted.
Quite soon, I need to begin contacting representatives of business which operate vineyards, orchards and other growing areas – each of these multi-billion dollar operations.
When I contact representatives, I would expect them to carry out an internet search to find out what background information is available about me. If they do, I’ve no reason for concern at all in my credentials for my work in the area, quite the opposite. My standing as an authority on water collecting, water conservation and composting at the farm level is secure. (This is according to one criterion, but an important one. This isn’t an empty, routine claim. ) What, though, if they find the adverse material on the page, such as the ignorant comment of CristobalCortesPizarro claiming that ‘this man should research and read who they are. It would be good if he educated himself before commenting here.’
The people I’ll be contacting will represent, in many cases, multi-million pound enterprises. These people work very hard, of course. They have no time to explore such a comment as the one of CristobalCortesPizarro, to find out if it’s fair-minded or not. It’s definitely not fair-minded. I work very hard myself, I’m very, very thorough in my research, meticulous, in fact. I see absolutely no reason why I should be exposed to the risk – even if it’s a slight risk – of potentially failing to secure an order or many orders because of the unfair and irresponsible comments of some of your commenters.
I carry out work in many other areas, such as design and construction of small buildings with innovative features, design and construction of machinery for apple pressing in cider production, vehicle conversion. This other work too could potentially be undermined.
To summarize, your commenters – and Slipped Disc itself – seem to be largely unaware of some possible consequences of releasing material into the Public Domain without taking much thought.
Another project of mine is the furtherance of freedom of expression – but freedom of expression isn’t an absolute right. Freedom of expression is subject to restriction in some cases. Far too often, freedom of expression on the internet is subject to banning, blocking, censoring. if commenters think they have complete freedom to make derogatory comments which have no supporting evidence whatsoever, just because they feel like it at the time, then they need to be challenged. These commenters are assuming that there are rights without responsibilities.
If you are threatening defamation action, you’d better leave the site right now.
If you refer to my comment, you’ll find I made it completely clear that I wasn’t ‘threatening defamation action.’. I wrote, ‘I’ve not the least intention of bringing a claim under the law of defamation in connection with adverse comments on this page.’
Can’t you just bump him off the site, Norman? It’s taken me two coffees and a complete rendition of Carmen to listen to this. And now on Casals playing the Bach Cello Suites!
‘To bump off:’ ‘to kill.’ You didn’t bother too much about choice of words, obviously, but your meaning is clear: you were advocating banning, blocking, censoring, getting rid of me by methods that don’t amount to annihilation. How considerate! What a thoughtful individual you are, Stephen L!
With advocacy of this kind, ‘Slipped Disc’ may well flourish as never before, all dissenting voices silenced, but perhaps its appeal would be to people who are easily pleased, to some extent. Perhaps Stephen L too is easily pleased, to some extent.
Add to the list the name of the magnificent Spanish opera singer Sayoa Hernandez, whom Montserrat Caballe called the prima donna of the 21st century.
What is this dude talking about?
I have frequently drawn attention, in many places, to the incident wherein conductor Victor Pablo Perez actually led his orchestra (we do not know how they felt about the gig) to play in a main Madrid bullring, accompanying the savagery: it is perfectly fair to introduce this theme in a cultural blog, since bullfighting comes under the Minstry of Culture in Spain: the reviews – who got awarded which ear and so forth – of this miserable business used, at least, to be published on the same pages of newspapers as opera reviews. There is a misconception which treats it as “sport”: it is not, it is the “fiesta nacional” – which allows it to circumvent EU animal welfare regulations. I, too, find it painful to see the references in various ballets and operas to this wretched relic of barbarity. Calixto Bieito’s production of “Carmen” is a fair way of alleviating this, but turning bullfighting scenes to rodeos (which have been aptly called “the equivalent of a public hanging”) is simply substituting one lot of primitive cruelty for another. For those who think this is oversensitive (sensitivity only being prized in certain areas in the Arts), I would argue that the fact that these scenes and references pass over unexamined in the vast majority of productions needs unpacking – “consciousness raising”, as the term used to be.
Victor Pablo Perez is not exactly on the cutting edge of the Spanish orchestral scene. Not sure he ever was.
I can tell you exactly how his orch felt about that incident – they hated it & they resented him for forcing them to do it. He was relieved of his role of MD of a top Spanish orch shortly after that. He is not a highly regarded or influential Spanish conductor. He laid low for a decade or so & has recently re-emerged as a kindly older conductor who orchs feel obliged to hire out of national duty. The young players now aren’t old enough to remember his questionable behavior (which is legendary) back in the 1990’s, so he’s accepted now. He wasn’t for a very long time.
So don’t hold Victor Pablo Perez up as a reason for this wacky dude to go off on Spain & bullfighting.
Bullfighting is going out of fashion in Spain. Young Spaniards don’t approve. There are loads of Spanish animal rights organizations campaigning against bullfighting. Ministries of Culture are having a hard time now appropriating cultural funds for bullfighting. Unfortunately, bullfighting is a big source of income from tourism. It’s tourists like yourself & this Paul Hurt who are convinced that bullfighting is the most important aspect of Spain. You & Paul are keeping it alive. You’re stuck somewhere back in Spain of the 1960’s. Get real. Spain has changed. Bullfighting is out, world class classical music is in.
Bullfighting is not confined to Spain. There are a number of rings in Southern France – Nimes, Bayonne etc.
It doesn’t make sense in a page about the appointment of Alondra de la Parra as music director of an orchestra in Madrid.
I think this might be relegated to a fn.
I love this stuff!
Sally
Yes, it is always entertaining seeing a man embarrass himself by showing he did not take his medication today.
To begin with a brief note for Norman Lebrecht or whoever decides whether this comment should be accepted for publication or not. In my reply to Norman Lebrecht above I included this: ‘Effective action doesn’t have to take the form of legal action. I do have other forms of effective action available to me.’
I’ve long experience of activism for a variety of causes – radical activism, when I was a lot younger, as well as activism of a more genteel kind but still very determined activism In this case, I intend to use the forms of publicity available to me. I haven’t needed to contact the press in one or two campaigns – the press has contacted me.
If this comment isn’t accepted for publication, I’ll be making the material available to a wide range of recipients. In fact, I’ll be making the material available to a wide range of recipients even if this comment is published on ‘Slipped Disc.’
In the meantime, I suggest that you read your own Comments Policy. It’s possible that you haven’t consulted it for some time. This reminder is needed, I think.
I’ve no way of knowing what achievements JohnCH has to his name – his real name, that is, not his pseudonym. Using a standard, well-known phrase ‘keep taking the medication’ to turn into an almost instant comment obviously isn’t an achievement. If JohnCH happens to be four years old then I’ll take back the criticism. In that case, he’s advanced for his age. If he’s a grown adult, not so.
As I see it, I’m entitled to give a defence. The views at Slipped Disc may differ. It takes the form of evidence, something in very short supply in most of the comments here, not counting the ones on Alondra de la Parra. Many of those do supply evidence.
The concise and convenient form of evidence I’ll use is simply this – a few very recent Google rankings for my site for some search terms. This will have to do. I don’t give the address of the site here.
ethical depth 2 / 191,000,000
farming water collecting composting
1 / 40,600,000
Cambridge University excellence stupidity
1 / 5,430,000
poetry line length 3 / 125,000,000
Christianity remembrance redemption [from an anti-Christian perspective]
poem composite 1 / 32,300,000
metaphor theme 2 / 123,000,000
If by any chance JohnCH, Mystery Man, is a writer on ethics, perhaps he could provide information and evidence in a further comment.
Thank you for the threat. You are no longer welcome on this site.
Mixing bullfights and standards of classical music making IS barbaric. And only finding Pau Casals worthy of mention in our accolade of distinguished musicians is truly indicative of your own ignorance. Teatro Real has been awarded top ópera theatre in the world just 2 years ago, and over 60% of young orchestral performers in European orchestras are Spanish. I am not defending bullfights but am clearly accusing you of getting your knickers in a twist and by so doing offending Spain.
Actually it is a relevant topic to bring about, because the exact same people who put de la Parra in charge of the ORCAM (The Community of Madrid’s Ministry -Consejería- of Culture) are the biggest promoters of bullfighting in Spain, keeping the fiesta in live support with its multi-million Euro subsidies to the barbaric tradition (despite dwindling attendance numbers and a civil society who is increasingly opposed to it), and promoting it as the ultimate symbol of “freedom” and “liberal democracy”.
Even as recently as three days ago, Isabel Díaz-Ayuso, the president of the Community of Madrid, linked the closure of Mexico City’s bullfighting ring (a decision taken by the Courts, not by politicians) with communism and political control, suggesting that the drought in Catalonia currently is “a direct consequence of having shut down” bullrings.
https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2024/02/04/madrids-conservative-premier-blames-drought-in-spains-barcelona-on-bizarre-reason-the-closure-of-their-bullring/
I am sorry to read comments from PAUL HUNT showing his total lack of knowledge about the actual european musical situation and his frustrated musical career
Your views show.
You have never suffer Alondra de la Parra conducting.
You have missed the actual musical life of Madrid.Teatro Real has been the only one performing in the continent at pandemia times.
I can understand your suffering due to the actual poor situation of the London orchestas,Norman dixit,and the English National Opera in holidays somewhere.
You clearly show your preference for fox hunting to bullfihting.Only to tell you this bulls live 5 years in open fields to yours living only one and been killed by electrical weapons.You can decide your preference .
Kindly I suggested you a visit to Madrid to enjoy a better musical life,a first ranked gastronomy and the real existance of sun.
Finally my excuses for my english learn in a Madrid school,but probably better tahn PAUL HUNT spanish
Paul, I appreciate your perspective on bullfighting, though I must clarify that it’s not a widespread practice in Spain. Many Spaniards, including myself, have never attended a bullfight, and it’s even banned in certain regions. My parents have never been, and neither have my closest friends, the same way most people in the UK haven’t been fox-hunting and US-Americans to a rodeo. While I agree it’s a barbaric tradition, I would caution against generalizing it as a representation of Spain’s cultural values.
Shifting to the topic of conductors and classical music, I am sure we would agree on the importance of meritocracy in the arts. Orchestras indeed deserve skilled conductors, and the appointment of Alondra de la Parra should be evaluated based on her abilities rather than political influence. And I think that Alondra de la Parra has proven she can’t take successfully a music directorship with a professional orchestra. Even if Spain were to rank low in classical music globally, the pursuit of excellence within its artistic communities remains crucial.
On the status of Spanish classical music internationally, it’s subjective and depends on personal experiences. Having lived in different countries, I’ve found great appreciation for Spanish music, and I believe it is essential to recognize the richness of Spain’s classical music (and cultural) contributions beyond controversial (and limited) practices such as bullfighting (which is not the topic at discussion here).
Everyone is shocked here in Madrid with the news. I can’t imagine a single reason to hire Alondra de la Parra for the ORCAM. She’s definitely not wanted in Madrid by season ticket holders and most of the musicians of the orchestra.
Actually, this is good news for an orchestra without an international profile. I had never heard of the Orchestra and Choir of the Community of Madrid, but I do now. She’s put the orchestra on the map, and she hasn’t been officially appointed!
Her quality as a conductor is another matter, but I will not publicly criticize another colleague.
If I were appointed coach of Rayo Vallecano, you would heard of that football team, unknown out of Spain. How many players make a football team? 13?
Maybe she put the orchestra in your own map. The Orchestra and Choir of the Community of Madrid is a well-known institution.
I would not go that far, fellow orchestral musician. Perhaps it is well-known in Spain.
With orchestras getting better and better, the shortcomings of music education amongs the general audience, and the importance of visuals in modern (social) media, it was just a matter of time when the conductors would be chosen by their looks rather than their musical abilities. Something that would certainly favour the female conductors and the younger darlings of the conducting world, managed from the back seat by large agencies. Unlike musicality, the image is everything these days. Not commenting on her musical abilities, just look at the recent pictures of Ms Diakun and compare them with the ones from a few years ago, or the case of Theodor Currentzis, as a good example. We are doomed!
That’s a good point. But also conductor has always been the public face of an orchestra (except for VPO). Not be as far as ‘the younger darlings’, but the favor for good looking, tall built, full nice head of hair is always there
Not all of the large agencies. I know two have a decent number of women conductors but the ones I have seen personally they are good quality. For de la Parra, she has the boutique Grunau und Paulus because the big agencies weren’t interested I hear
“insider”
She pushed hard to be appointed conductor of the Spanish National Orchestra (ONE). Fortunately, the reactions succeeded at stopping the disgraceful move. Now it seems she’s gotten the Comunidad de Madrid Orchestra and is closer than ever to ONE, at least geographically. The tune in Spain stays mainly in pain.
Maybe you should ask to the musicians from Spanish orchestras invited to participate in Alondra’s Festival last summer what really happened.
I’ve very much enjoyed Ms. de la Parra’s recordings and her advocacy for Latin-American composers is a model for others. Madrid should be proud to have such a compelling woman in this role, sexists be damned.
That’s precisely the point: an orchestra’s repertoire is somewhat wider than Marques’ “Danzón no. 2” and other Latin-american music. And this has nothing to do with sex (wait, hmm, who knows). Actually, de la Parra will replace another woman conductor, way better than she, although lesser known: Marzena Diakun.
Any info on why Diakun is out?
She isn’t glamorous, she doesn’t live in Madrid (apparently, de la Parra is preparing to move to Madrid), she doesn’t have the contacts the mexican has, she doen’t speak Spanish, she programmed some concerts filled with music which isn’t very popular among a conservative audience… According to the regional goverment, from which the orchestra depends, they have appointed the mexican “for her extensive international experience and connection with the public” (https://www.comunidad.madrid/noticias/2024/01/31/comunidad-madrid-designa-alondra-parra-nueva-direccion-orcam-su-amplia-experiencia-internacional-conexion-publico). Since the regional authorities have not the slightest idea of what classical music is, the true reasons behind the appointment are for the most part uncertain, although surely musical competence is not high in the list.
Super interesting. Thanks for these valuable insights, Batutero!
How can she be Mexican and not speak Spanish?
Why would you believe anything that these people post in these comment sections?
They are talking about polish conductor Maestra Diakun. And that is not true, because she does speak the local language.
The general manager of the orchestra changed and the new one destroyed all it was previously done before…
Sexists? She’s replacing a very capable female conductor!!!! And Latin-American composers? Is that what Spain needs???
Without disparaging latin american composers and compisitions, 99% of the main repertoire is not from those countries…
Alondra is a very talented musician, and she’ll do great art with the orchestra. I understand it’s the fashion now to mock ppl regardless to their talent, especially women, but it’s very sad that you are joining this in public.
Maybe first go and see her conduct.
De la Parra is taking over from a very capable female conductor, Maestra Diakun. People know De la Parra Oeuvre. Diakun ‘bueno’, de la Parra ‘no bueno’. Nothing to do with her sex.
We have seen her conducting. Many times. That’s why people are upset. There are lots of talented women conductors out there, so let’s just not play the y’all-are-just-a-bunch-of-misogynists card.
I listened to his “Turandot” three times at the Liceu and I was quite disappointed. He only played strongly throughout the opera, and several times he was out of line in the most demanding moments. The musicians were not at all satisfied with their work either. Having said that, I don’t see her as bad at the head of ORCAM either, but definitely not for an opera house.
‘Her’, not ‘his’. So, covering the singers and being out with the stage is not a good look. Why can’t these fledgling baton-twirlers cut their teeth on the Ochsentour?
Saw her last week in Manchester guest-conducting the Hallé and I thought she did a pretty good job; an excellent ‘Firebird’.
She’s a good dancer.
Any professional orchestra can play Firebird in their sleep. What makes you think her podium dance had anything to do with the performance?
Violin Concerto was good but that wasn’t her doing, Firebird was intensely mediocre and forgettable.
Not to mention the assistant Conductor had to help de la parra because she had learnt the wrong version of the Firebird before coming to the rehearsal.
You can easily find in Facebook a video from her last visit to Madrid, where she explains that Mussorgsky wrote “Pictures at an exhibition” for piano and later HE (Mussorgsky) made the orchestration.
Pure musical knowledge
This Madrid is a very bad orchestra with a terrible history and an overload of concerts, performances, zarzuela, education. Preparation is poor and quality irrelevant and the politicians in Madrid who pay for this orchestra couldn’t care less for music. So maybe it is a good spot for Alondra, who finally got what she wanted. Her manager in Spain is Quique Subiela, so congratulations to him.
If there’s anything I’ve gathered from the Spanish from having been there many times, they are not the most open minded of people… Let’s see how this goes…
And where are you from? You know Spaniards because you have been in Benidorm a couple of times. Whatever.
The practice of balconing, gobbling paellas, getting drunk in Mediterranean resorts and not speaking a single word of Spanish allows foreign practitioners to deeply understand the Spanish character.
Typical spanish debate skills: “y tú mas”!!
Couldn’t agree more with the comments here. One Inma Shara in Spain is enough.
The agents who push for these positions for their unqualified clients have no understanding that they are putting them before well-trained, discerning musicians who will not stand for a poor conductor. Musicians see thru the smoke & mirrors & if they do not want de la Parra there, she will not do well.
ORCAM isn’t Madrid’s top orchestra. It’s the house orchestra for the Teatro de la Zarzuela, so they are in service largely as a zarzuela orchestra. But they are fine players & it’s a terrific orchestra. They deserve much better than de la Parra. She will get frustrated because 1. the players don’t want her & 2. she will never get the fame & recognition she wants conducting a zarzuela orchestra.
This is a bad appointment that will not go well. Madrid is a sophisticated city musically which has made its opinion clear about Alondra de la Parra.
This is terrible news. I played once with her some of the pieces she supposedly knows very well (west side story dances). I was playing a transposing instrument, and I thought my score had some notes mistakes. She wasn’t able to tell me if they were correct or not. This is basic conductor skills!
Besides that anyone could see she’s not very talented for conducting.
I guess you never make mistakes huh?
I do as everybody. It just shocked me that she, as reputed as she is, didn’t know how to transpose.
OF COURSE she knows how to transpose. Her teachers (one whom I studied with myself) would never let her get away with that. Give your head a shake.
You’d be surprised. I’ve worked with her too. Talentless. I’ve told the story numerous times of her getter ng lost in a si ple 4/4 pattern during ng one of her trademark Latin encores. Nevermind that she is so patronizing towards musicians who play under her. She would throw hissy fits during rehearsals when the music wasn’t to her liking, talking about we were “hurting her heart” instead of, you know, figuring out the exact problem and taking steps to correct it. Which is what rehearsal is. Pure arrogance, entitlement and posturing to mask severe deficiencies in techniques, leadership skills and plain old being respectful.. which she isn’t. Apparently her mega-rich father who bankrolls her career never taught her that of you give respect, you GET respect. He tried to buy her a position conducting Vermont Symphony. Even THAT dinky little orchestra didn’t want her!
Maybe don’t waste everybody’s time by interrupting the rehearsal with your question. Look it up on Google or something. Ask a colleague. I hate it when individual musicians bring a very high pressure and difficult rehearsal to a screeching halt for dumbass questions. Don’t waste my time.
Hi,
I made the question during a pause. I asked because it was not clear for me and I wanted to play the right notes. How’s that dumbass? I think it’s seriousness.
Because the conductor is under enormous pressure and your dumbass question is a distraction regardless of when you ask. Why are you doing that when you can figure it out yourself?
From one Anon to the other, thanks for being direct. I agree with your posts in general. The metronome comments are a little one-sided – sounds like you’re a conductor. So, yeah, keeping time is part of your job. Without that, we’d be perfectly fine playing conductor-less all the time.
But totally agree on cloying musicians who ask stupid questions both during & after rehearsal. Look it up, ask a colleague. Ask the librarian. Make them ask the conductor. Experienced musicians also really hate this.
Signed,
The Other Anon
I agree. If you aren’t sure what the notes are, then play something appropriate or don’t play anything. the conductor is unlikely to notice regardless what you do.
Another gig conductor here. LOL
Never forget that in any orchestra you’ll find enough more talented musicians than you, with double or more experience.
So, respect if you want to be respected.
She will stay max 2 years, like everywhere. Her “Zauberflöte” in Berlin was a “Debakel” (German press) … she was never invited again at Staatsoper Unter den Linden.
The Alondra Zauberflöte is famous! People in Berlin still talk about it. I heard from friends in the orchestra that it was a terrible from the first EbMajor chord of the first rehearsal.
Saying some performance was terrible without saying how or why it was terrible is a useless and lameass comment. Do better.
As they say, getting the gigs is easy. Getting invited back is not.
So hard to see a talented smart and beautiful person, ha?? so many narrow minded jealous ppl. She works hard and she gets what she deserves…just as all of you.
Narrow minded? She’s just a bad conductor. That’s it. What is narrow-minded about saying that she is, among all female conductors, a very bad one?
Very bad indeed.
The girl is on fire
Bravo, lucky Orchestra and lucky city
Let me just quote from Deutschlandfunk:
“Schwache musikalische Inszenierung
Und auch die musikalische Inszenierung ist laut Spinola „wacklig“. Am Pult stand bei der „Zauberflöte“ die junge mexikanische Dirigentin Alondra de la Parra. Spinola berichtet, dass de la Parra kurzfristig eingesprungen sei; eigentlich sollte sie erst eine Vorstellung im September dirigieren, sei aber „ins eiskalte Wasser gesprungen“. Allerdings habe sich de la Parra damit keinen Gefallen getan. Sie sei wohl schlecht beraten worden, das Angebot anzunehmen und „total eingebrochen am Pult“. Auf der handwerklichen Ebene sei de la Parra „sehr unsicher“ gewesen, so Spinola.”
Deutschlandfunk
Julia Spinola im Gespräch mit Änne Seidel | 18.02.2019
https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/berliner-staatsoper-zauberfloete-als-trauriges-kinderspiel-100.html
Wit the criticism and I’d never return to Berlin. Actually, no, I’d never come back to Europe.
I’m not really a fan of Alondra’s but if you whiners are noticing her conducting so much it means you’re not listening. Who cares what the conductor does as long as the music happens.
Poor Spaniards, Pedro Sanchez as prime minister, and now Alondra de la Parra.
The problem here is that Spaniards think they are superior in everything. A Mexican in Spain when they are machista, misogynist, racist and franquista and their 17 century view of life does not allow them them to have someone of an inferior race as their boss. I I’ve worked a lot with Spaniards in many fields, especially finance and commodities and know for a fact that if Alondra were American, German, English and so on they be bowing and even shining their shoes with their tongue. I’ll give you another example Rafael Márquez an ex Barcelóna fotball player said he would like to coach the of the team next season. Same story a Mexican is not up to the task. Maybe Alondra is not really gifted as a conductor, I’ll grant you that, but Spaniards should take up her appointment with with Iberdrola, OHL Spanish companies that gave kickbacks and money to Alondra’s former father in law, Mexico’s es president Ernesto Zedillo. Spanish politicians have her back!
No, it has nothing to do neither with her being Mexican nor that ridiculous idea you have that Spanish people think they are superior and Spaniards having a 17th-century view of life. There have been other orchestras with Latin-American conductors in Spain, and there are orchestras with female music directors (including ORCAM). It’s just that Alondra de la Parra is not a good conductor, and she is unwelcome. It has nothing to do with her sex or nationality.
It is the perpetuation of the “Spanish black legend” that so many British and Latin-Americans love. Highly misinformed and ill-intentioned.
You’re definitely right about Spanish superiority. I dated a Spaniard once and I suggested we take a trip to Mexico, she took it as the biggest insult, as.if I was inviting her to the slums of Calcutta for a relaxing spa getaway or something. She was completely prejudiced against Mexicans. It was pretty ugly to witness. Too bad too because she was hot!!
Oh, come on. You “dated a Spaniard once” who didn’t want to go to Mexico with you so now all Spaniards hate Mexico. Maybe she just didn’t want to go with you.
What you’re talking about is not a genuine sense of superiority. You’re taking it at face value & it shouldn’t be.
Here’s my take: Spaniards are by nature a modest & humble people. Years of living under the dictatorship of Franco, who tried to promote Spanish pride & a sense of national superiority by limiting interchange with other countries, left a scar, even to this day.
If you look closely, you often see a “cultural inferiority complex” in Spaniards because they are sometimes secretly convinced that foreigners are somehow better or more advanced. They cover this by expressing pride in themselves as Spaniards.
This is why so many young Spaniards go abroad to study, learn to speak English, French or German fluently & become adept in other cultures. It’s also why young Spanish musicians are starting to dominate at the highest levels of international music performance & conducting. They are defying that old stereotype.
The superiority, the pride you speak of, is often just an image. It’s only skin deep & it sometimes masks cultural insecurities. Spanish people are warm & modest in general. But they want to be out in the world! Presenting themselves with pride and authority is a effective way to do that.
Sincerest apologies to the wise & insightful Spaniards who I know read these comments, if I’ve offended. This is just my take. . .
Not surprised, given the state of woke-ism in every facet of our post-pandemic Western society.
The terms “woke” or “wokeness” need to be obliterated from the conservative population. You sound like idiots when you use it.
Exactly my thoughts Anon… Claiming that the government of the Community of Madrid, the most autocratic, taken out of Trump’s playbook, in tune with Meloni, Le Pen and other would-be dictators (Isabel Díaz-Ayuso, the regional president of Madrid even said on live TV how proud she was of being called a fascist) only shows how ignorant these anti-woke comments really are.
A tragically horrendous appointment of an incompetent conductor.
Just heartbreaking to have her on the podium in front of musicians. My condolences to the organization and the concert-goers.
Her entrenched technical problem is that whenever she makes a gesture with her left hand, she stops beating time with her right hand, be it with or without a stick.
See here:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6JXmpU35n14
First semester stuff at a conservatoire.
I guess you can’t count on your own. A conductor is not a metronome. Do better.
Beating time means conveying with meaningful gestures a continuously (possibly continually) varying musical pulse. Well, that’s what I was taught. But thanks for putting me right.
All you have to do is watch any number of very famous conductors to see that they often abandon the metronomic beating to express something. They actually trust professional musicians to be an to count. And for the most part, most orchestras could manage very well without a conductor. Duh.
Glad we agree. (You write: “All you have to do is watch any number of very famous conductors to see that they often abandon the metronomic beating to express something.”)
However, as any fule kno, symphony orchestras cannot navigate their way through long and complex works sans conductor. They should all manage without one when playing, say, a Rossini overture.
Idiotic response.
Yeah, a discussion about Alondra de La Parra is not exactly the best place to be making this point.
– The Other Anon
Anybody criticising us is a mysogynist, clearly! But what do you expect from men? They’re merely envious that they can’t produce babies.
Sally
Plenty of her critics are women. Sex has nothing to do with it. Spain gives loads of opportunities to qualified women conductors. De La Parra is not qualified. Orch de Paris was the first to call her out years ago. The tsunami against her began in France. Every subsequent orch she’s conducted says the same thing. This is her lack of ability, the fact that she tries disguise her lack of technique with fancy movements & flying hair, not her sex.
A bunch of important facts: Maestra Diakun was with us (she still is) 3 full years and her programmation is one of more interesting we had so far. She speaks spanish and most of the pople who could see her conducting would never say she is not glomorous. She is just outstanding! And yes, we are afraid to say anything laud because of new directorship of orchestra. Nobody asked our opinion, there was no competitions for this position and this is stricly political desicion. It is actually so sad that such a choices happen in capital of our country.
Thank you for speaking out here, ORCAM Voice. You’ve given us an important perspective.
Yes, Spanish musicians are employees at the mercy of the administration, but remember that Spanish labor laws protecting musicians are among the strongest in the world. Never forget that!
If you’ve got a fijo position, that’s strong protection. It would cost a lot of euros to fire a fijo player for no good reason, and any wise Spanish gerencia knows this. They don’t want to have to risk spending that amount on firing someone.
ORCAM has a players’ committee, right? By Spanish law, those committee members are protected from retaliations from management. They can’t be fired. That is the law. Situations like this are exactly why. Find a committee member you trust & express what you’ve said here to them. Their job is to represent you. Work thru your comite – they can bring this issue forward for you.
Use social media. You can do it anonymously. Tweet to politicians. Let them know that the musicians must have a say in who is chosen as Titular. Express your displeasure of de La Parra on social media & do it anonymously.
Connect with AMPOS. They’re pretty useless in controversial situations but if you have dues-paying AMPOS members in ORCAM, they should help you.
You have power. Know your Convenio, make use of your comite, use social media. Talk to audience members, critics who love inside information & tell them how you feel. You did the right thing to write here.
Look at your Orq Nacional colleagues as examples. Look at RTVE. Those musicians take grief from no one. They are strong, powerful musicians who know the law & will accept no conductor they don’t want. You guys/gals are wonderful musicians, too. Stand up for yourselves. Be clever, be careful, but do it!
This attitude behavior and comments by Spaniards don’t surprise me at all. I’ve seen Spaniard with my own eyes sucking up to Americans while at the same time belitting, demeaning and discriminating waiters at restaurants simply for being South America or sudaca as they are colloquially call them.
That same rule applies in the music word. Theatres would cast mediocre American singers, because they once sang at the Met than a qualified Ibearoamerican or even Spanish singer. For instance thst is the casting criteria of a one Joan Matabosch and a Victor García Gomar Anyone know ever heard of them?
If ORCAM wished to appoint a Latin American woman conductor as their Chief Conductor and Artistic Director, regardless of the merits of having those as the sole criteria for such an appointment, of the top of my head I can think of at least three who are more talented that Alondra de la Parra, and certainly considerably more competent. In alphabetical order: Ligia Amadio (Brazil), Gisele Ben-Dor (Uruguay), and Alejandra Urrutia (Chile). Moreover, all three are skilled musicians.
Simply put…. Spaniards don’t want Alondra because they’re racist bigots!
It’s unbelievable how much effort they put to belittle a Mexican woman conductor. -All the excuses set forth to disqualify her aren’t persuasive.
Besides this ORCAM orchestra -that I’d never heard of before- will never improve its position or stature even if Muti was in charge……
There is no belittleration of a mexican female conductor (many Latin Americans conduct Spanish orchestras every year, and the previous principal conductor was a Polish female conductor)… People don’t want Alondra de la Parra, not “a Mexican female conductor”. Hope you can understand it.
She is a Show case not a musician, BTW Does the Sinaloa Cartel is again helping her carrier even in Europe?