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Spano at a Career Crossroads?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
CLASSICAL CON BLASTO blog
Conductor Robert Spano gets a lot of attention in Atlanta, and almost all of it is good: as a baton-wielding prophet who can lift the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra to top-tier status — whatever that means — as an advocate for contemporary music, as a civic leader, as a champion of the local classical music community’s reading habits.
Some listeners suggest Spano’s conducting style relies too heavily on the spontaneous energy of the concert or that his baton technique doesn’t emphasize orchestral clarity, or that he needs to continue to deepen as an interpreter (who doesn’t?).
Last week, the New York Philharmonic named Alan Gilbert as its music director-designate. The same day, a critic in Chicago handicapped the Chicago Symphony search for a new music director. In both cases, Spano’s name never even came up, which is a big change from just a few years ago.
So when I published a story last week wondering if Spano’s national career — or at least the perception of Spano’s career — was at a crossroads, it received many replies from readers. Here’s the original article. Below are some of the reader comments.
NOTE to readers: In the AJC print edition of July 19, the headline, written by a copy editor, read: “ASO’s Spano falls off likely-to-succeed lists”. This confused readers, where “succeed” was related to “successor” but most took it as a synonym for “failure” — rather than as a too-cute nod to high school most-likely-to-succeed awards.
Permalink | Comments (7) | Categories: Classical Music
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By Wayne
July 24, 2007 12:06 PM | Link to this
i’ve been stewing about this since i read it on thursday and feel i MUST respond!
Pierre Ruhe’s piece on the esteemed Robert Spano is nothing short of character assassination and very mean spirited to boot.
of course, this is merely one man’s opinion! and here is my opinion: robert spano is one of the most talented people in the world of classical music today. easily the only heir to Leonard Bernstein, his programming of the ASO has been nothing short of rilliant - exposing atlantans to fine music from all the “old warhorses”, as well as bringing to Atlanta some of the most exciting music being composed in classical music NOW! (adams, tan dun, golijov, gandolfi)
to imply, that he is UNLIKELY to succeed is amazingly insulting. the man has brought home Grammys and has been heralded all over the world! your implication that he is “long in the tooth” at a very young (esp. in the world of classical music!) 46 is ageist and plain wrong-headed.
you seem to lay at his feet not getting our new concert hall built (not YET, i would like to point out.) why don’t you call out our unintellectual and uncultured governer, sonny purdue, for not ponying up any state funds?
furthermore, why do you consider this position at the ASO merely a stepping stone for mr. spano? did you consider maybe he likes atlanta? (i hope he still does!) sir, you sell our city short with your article, as well! most troublesome, is this poison pen piece comes on the heels of mr. spano writing a very impassioned editorial about the importance of arts coverage in a paper that was (still is?) considering ditching arts coverage for more blather about ludacris or elton john! what a slap in the face for mr. spano!
maybe atlanta doesn’t deserve the wonderful, talented , and down to earth conductor, after all?
By Mario
July 24, 2007 12:28 PM | Link to this
I just read your article on Robert Spano no longer appearing to be on the shortlists of the Big 5 orchestras.
I have no idea whether this means his stock has fallen, but I wonder if it really matters.
These days, any orchestra that pays a living wage is good. And the difference between the good and great orchestras seems to come down largely to two things: 1) Quality of musical direction and 2) Ambition of the organization.
The ASO has done quite well for itself with #1; now the challenge is #2 - whether it’s the new hall, touring, programming, etc.. At least the ASO seems to be making more recordings than many better-known groups.
I’m from Seattle (though I haven’t lived there in a while), which has endured 23 years of Gerard Schwarz (and no end in sight). But I give him this much credit: Asked 20 years ago (when he was considered a major up-and-comer) if he aspired to a Big 5 job, he didn’t say no, but also said he was more interested in making something great than in being given something great. Whatever his shortcomings as an interpreter, he has presided over the transformation of the Seattle Symphony into a major organization (I don’t give much credit to any conductor for ensemble improvement; most of that comes through attrition).
Anyway, surely Atlanta doesn’t consider itself an inferior city to Boston, Cleveland or Philhadelphia in most conventional aspects - and certainly not when it comes to, say, professional sports teams. So why, one wonders, should the good people of Atlanta to expect their orchestra to be inferior to the orchestras of those cities, or to have any less capable a music director?
The music world is ready for an insurgency from orchestras outside the Big 5. It was a beautifully subversive move for the ASO to hire Spano a few years back, before those groups thought to hire him. And if he turns into what everyone hopes he will become, why shouldn’t he just keep doing it in Atlanta?
By New Rochelle, NY
July 24, 2007 12:46 PM | Link to this
Hello Mr. Ruhe!
In your interesting article on Robert Spano you describe the New York Philharmonic as the most “staid” orchestra around.I beg to differ.
The New York Phil. has played a wide variety of new works by today’s leading composers,as well as reviving many obscure but interesting works from the past.In fact,there are many orchestras today that have offered much more conservative programming.
I have not heard Alan Gilbert conduct yet,but I have heard quite a few enthusiastic reports about him, and New York may be in for some very interesting programming in upcoming seasons.
By Thomas
July 25, 2007 8:52 AM | Link to this
I’m glad to read a few contrary opinions to Mr. Ruhe’s recently pessimistic article. To Ruhe’s credit, the tone of that article was not typical. I think a more general reflection on Robert Spano’s tenure would have been more interesting and helpful.
As others say, Ruhe presupposes that the Big 5 are the destinations for any great conductor. While I’m sure these posts are tempting, insisting upon their supremacy fails to take into account the changes in the cultural landscape. Salonen took LA to new heights (and left the post to compose rather than take up another orchestra). Tilson Thomas enjoys a strong reputation in SF that I can’t imagine him leaving. And Spano has improved this orchestra (both through programming and playing).
And let’s face it, walking into New York or Philadelphia has not been the easiest task for conductors. Eschenbach was hated, and Masur disliked (Muti was reviled by the players at La Scala). Finding the right fit in terms of personality, style, and rapport is as important as some empty ranking of “who’s the best.”
A final word to respond to the comment on the NY Phil. I lived there under Masur and Maazel’s batons, and agree with Ruhe that the programming is relatively staid in comparison with many orchestras. In addition, Maazel’s conducting is among the most frustratingly mannerist that I have ever heard. And while the players are among the best - they’re too aware of it. If they don’t like something, the audience will know it. Gilbert should be good for them by shaking things up a bit. As a former audience member I sure hope so!
By Pierre Ruhe
July 26, 2007 4:58 PM | Link to this
Thanks for these thoughtful or intemperate comments, although the original article wasn’t about my opinions of Robert Spano (and his career) — I said the ASO is better and more interesting than ever — but about outside perceptions of Spano’s career.
And I hold no biases that the old Big Five bands — i.e. NY, Chicago, Cleveland, Boston and Chicago — are the only ones that matter. As a listener, I’ve had more moving and satisfying experiences at the San Francisco Symphony, and even Minnesota and St Louis, than I’ve ever had at the New York Phil, which often plays with all the technical precision and human emotion of robots.
Still, Spano is a serious artist right here and right now, and he likely holds the potential to go even further. Local boosterism aside, I can’t think that it hurts to ask, every once in a while, if he’s living up to that potential. By this reasoning, an informed audience, and a demanding audience, can help lift everyone’s standards.
By Patrick Flynn
July 30, 2007 4:30 PM | Link to this
The truth is Spano is a good, not great conductor, whose career took off because of strong music biz connections and “flavor of the month” status with a handful of influential critics some years back. Like Glibert, Salonen, et al, he is not very inspiring, but is smart, well prepared, and has a broad repertoire of newer pieces that renders him politically correct today.. It is unreasonable to expect such conductors to lead a Mahler or Brahms slow movement and give it meaning, or to match Haitink, Giulini or even Dudamel (a genuine musical force of nature). Spano’s career is about where it should be, perhaps a little ahead.
By Andrew in Scotland
August 3, 2007 10:45 AM | Link to this
Brilliant piece on Spano — so glad you haven’t “bought in” to the local-guy-must-be-good syndrome. Glad it stirred such strong reactions. Website comment by Patrick Flynn also spot on the mark.
Spano is opening Edinburgh Festival with “Candide” next Friday. We’ll see. His career here is flickering, but not in London.