I was all set to write a blog on my little sojourn into Shangri-La and then some exciting news popped up on the radar. It seems that, indeed, the lunatics are running the asylum.
I have been steering clear of the whole New York City Opera situation, not due to some strange gestalt-like connection with the company or anything, but simply because I have had other things on my mind. But today’s astonishing news from that quarter changes the ball game – yes folks, the New York City Opera has eliminated the post of Music Director.
Really?
I was so stunned by this that I had to read the article directly, despite the fact that I have now wasted one of my precious 20-per-month articles from the NYTimes. It is true that it seemed like CityOp was careening from one disaster to another lately. First was the whole Mortier disaster, then a quick revolving door of bad news concerning contracts, money, and everything else. They seemed to be making some right decisions albeit for all the wrong reasons (I am one of the few, I think, who said they should get out of Lincoln Center years ago, but under these circumstances?).
But this? Perhaps it’s because it cuts so close to the quick. Fellow conductor and all that.
No. That’s not it. It’s because if there is one person you desperately want on board of a major opera company it’s a competent Music Director. Why? Because everyone else – and I mean the singers, the stage director, the impresarios, the backstage director, whomever – are all completely nuts. Anyone who has ever spent time in the opera world will (or should) readily admit that it’s a loony bin. All the crazies seem to gravitate towards opera, probably because of the sheer spectacle of it all. Outsized spectacle attract outsized egos. All those stories you’ve heard about opera stars or crazy goings-on backstage? They are ALL true.
I once asked the personnel manager of an opera orchestra how he kept the madness from impacting the orchestra. His reply was “I just try to keep my head down and try to shield the musicians from the daily lunacy.” Folks, when your orchestra is the sanest part of your organization you are living on the edge.
A good Music Director in a opera company is the Rock of Gibralter. The Soprano du Jour decides to have a hissy fit? Been there. Stage director wants a 100 ton machine as his set? Done that. There’s a ballet company in the 2nd act and all your dancers have no rhythm? Yawn. God help you if you have to deal with a Children’s chorus. Yikes. But it’s all in a day’s work. A good Music Director brings consistency, order, and clarity to what is essentially artistic chaos. A guest conductor can do that for one, maybe two productions, but to understand the various egos and proclivities of an opera company requires a calm and steady hand that is there on a long term basis.
Sorry to use a sports analogy, but do you think it would be wise to have a guest Head Coach for every game the Packers play this season?
There are only two scenarios here – either A) there’s an Artistic Administrator (or some such title) at CityOp who is angling for power; or B) the Board knows absolutely nothing about how an opera company functions and they have now completely lost their collective minds. Certainly the response from the people in the business will be one of complete derision for this action.
Maybe the whole Mortier thing wasn’t about money. Maybe he smelled something in a corner of the CityOp offices which got his hackles up. Only time will tell. Meanwhile, Moody’s has officially lowered CityOp’s rating to junk status.
I enjoyed your humorous but not unrealistic portrait of the inner workings and dynamics of an opera company. I agree with you that either vanity on the part of the board or complete ignorance must be at work here.
Nice to find your blog through NYCO friends’ Facebook reposts.
San Diego Opera has not had a Music Director since I moved here in 1985. They have been financially successful, yet artistically I can only recall a handful of productions which were truly wonderful (and one of those was a Boris G. imported from Georgia). Recently James Chute had the temerity to point out that SDO suffered from a lack of a music director, and he was pilloried in online discussion groups.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/may/27/San-Diego-Opera-conductors/
I do think Chute had a point, and like many others, I am concerned about NY City Opera’s to no longer support a musical director.
An awful lot of conductors sat on the sidelines during the recent Detroit Symphony strike (and other strikes, for that matter). Interesting to see how they feel when boards decide they are just as expendable as musicians. I agree that a music director can be a tremendous asset–maybe it’s time to work together.
Wow, the orchestra as the sane ones! I read your post with interest as a member of the Arizona Opera Company Orchestra. Our administration has just effectively done the same thing, with more than a few contract ramifications for the orch. and chorus.