Forgive me for the dramatic title, but there's no other way to describe this past evening at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.
Happy Hour is a way that the ISO adminstration gets people--specifically 20-30somethings back to the symphony. They throw free food and booze at you, and give you a nice hour long concert after work, where you can mingle with your friends. Sounds cool, eh?
It's also where everyone who attends gets misled as to what a classical music concert is about.
Tonight when I entered the hall, the lights were down very low, and there were blue lights at the back of the stage. The conductor/host, Steve Hackman was playing the piano quietly while everyone was finding their seats and chatting. Later on the ISO came on stage, played a few pieces. The lights in the background were changing constantly and sometimes were almost mesmerizing. Hackman, while not exactly a good conductor, is a very fit and good looking man. So far, your eyes are entranced. Then the orchestra starts out Beethoven's "Eroica" symphony, which is harmless, right? Then, however, it morphs in to Coldplay's "Fix You", complete with Hackman singing the last line while playing the piano, and then it goes back in to the symphony. Hackman spoke to us briefly about the works, and he certainly is charming. He's got those looks, and then he also talks to the orchestra in a comfortable manner. He's not pretentious, yet he's not irreverant, but perhaps close to it, in an appealing manner. Then we get to some movie music, complete with two dancers who come out and prance around the stage, enacting a boy-girl chase type thing. On we go, back to classical music, complete with those nice lights, that hot conductor, and booze in our hands. At the end, everyone is standing up, loving what they just saw and heard. I bet a few of them might even come back for an orchestra concert!
Yet those people who come back will probably be a bit shocked. See, on Friday and Saturday nights at the ISO, you have to pay for your drinks. There are no fancy lights at all, and a lot of the time, the conductor is kinda old, and nowhere near as hot. He certainly won't stop to chat with the audience either. In fact, he'll walk out and be pretty serious and intense. The orchestra won't be playing snippets of symphonies either, with Coldplay stuck in the middle. They'll be playing full out works, complete with no clapping in between movements. The first half will be about 45 minutes to an hour long---as long as your Happy Hour concert was! The demographics might be a bit different as well. Your row might not be made up entirely of pals from work, is what I'm trying to say.
Do not think I'm putting down Friday and Saturday nights at the ISO--by no means. No one loves going to an orchestra concert more than I do, I assure you. I haven't been misled though, as to what an orchestra concert is. How many people at this past evening's concert have been misled though? And then how many won't return to anything but Happy Hour, when they realize there's no free drinks, fancy lights, and a hot conductor?
ISO Vice President of Artistic Administration Martin Sher told the orchestra at a rehearsal earlier this week that this concert would "revolutionize classical music concerts across the country". Really? Some lights, a hot conductor and Coldplay thrown in will do that? There's another word for this revolution: SELLING OUT. It's almost sick to me to see that the administration of the ISO will do anything to get butts in seats.
I mean, come on--this concert really didn't have anything to do with classical music. It didn't honor the work of Beethoven really in anyway. Sure, Hackman did tell us that it was one of the most important compositions ever, but in the middle of it was Coldplay. Coldplay, my friends, might sell millions of albums, but they aren't anywhere near on par with Beethoven. In fact, it's almost insulting to Beethoven. Well....it IS insulting to Beethoven, actually!
And not only to Ludwig, either, but the musicians on stage. How many years were they in school for their profession? How many auditions did they take before they finally got a job? A recent principal chair winning friend (not in the ISO) told me that it took him 21 auditions before he got his first job. That was after his undergraduate degree, and a performer's certificate as well. I look through the roster of the ISO, and I see that many of them have a bachelor's AND a master's degree. I reflect on the life of Beethoven, his compositions and what they entail, and what immense joy they bring people. I review the Happy Hour concert in my mind, and all I can think of is what an insult it is to those musicians who work their asses of to be in an orchestra and play symphonies the rest of their lives, and they are stuck playing Coldplay. The administration of the ISO, who know how many degrees their musicians have earned, who know how hard auditions are, who know how amazing and out of world and intense classical music is, decide to use fancy lights and free drinks to con people to come to the symphony. There's nothing said about how our lives can be enriched with classical music. Nothing about how deep those works can be. Nothing about the impact music can make on a human being.
Back to what Martin Sher said--if a concert like this revolutionizes classical music, then I want nothing to do with it. I'm not against enjoying a concert and having a good time. I am however, about appreciating classical music for what is, and not just what comes along with a concert.
Now, maybe I'll proven wrong or something--that would be nice. It would be nice if a concert-goer this evening comes back for a Saturday night concert and loves it. It'd be nice if they didn't care one bit that the conductor wasn't a stud muffin, or that there weren't any fancy lights. It'd be awesome if they loved hearing an entire symphony, without a pop tune stuck in the muddle. If that happens, then awesome. However, that just doesn't seem realistic...
The ISO administration: tonight certainly seemed like a success. It doesn't mean that just because the hall was filled that it was a good thing though. If this is the path you will continue to take the orchestra on, then you should know that you are selling your orchestra out. You are whoring them, essentially. You are making a mockery of their hard work, and a mockery of classical music from every era and part of the world. Is this what you want for your orchestra? Are you willing to do that, just to have the hall filled up?
And to Martin Sher specifically: your title is VP of ARTISTIC Administration. Artistic. NOT selling-out-just-to-fill-seats administration. You are a violist; you've played in an orchestra before, and you of all people should know what little real integrity this concert had. You know how little this concert had to do with classical music. Shame on you, Mr. Sher.
Yes, ISO admin--I know you are worried about selling tickets, and getting people to the symphony. I know you're gonna have to start being creative and innovative to do those things.
It doesn't mean you have to sell out though.
