There have been some ugly rumors floating around the internet about a couple orchestras. Perhaps it’s time to comment on them.
My father and I had a tradition many moons back and I can remember (vaguely) the day it started. We were walking into some building in Buffalo and I thought I would do the polite thing and hold the door for my dad. Being the mischievous S.O.B. that I am as I held the door open for him I smirked “Age before beauty!” My dad is a classically trained philosopher with a fairly wide sense of humor. Quick as a flash, and with a obvious twinkle in his eye (and as he walked through the door I was holding for him) he barked out “Wisdom before youth!”
Here we are more than 30 years later and I have surreptitiously been receiving indications from colleagues that there may be some evidence of Ageism rearing its ugly head in the orchestra business. This is something of a delicate subject for a number of reasons. Anyone who has spent a lot of time around orchestras has run into the player who is long past his/her prime but just won’t, or can’t, hang up the music stand. It can be painful and sometimes embarrassing but there is a reluctance in the business for us to confront that kind of situation. Who, really, wants to deprive someone of their livelihood, profession, and their ability to perform for people? That’s why we got into this crazy business in the first place.
On the flip side though is the fact that the vast majority of older players still play on an extremely high level. Almost more important is the fact that these veterans have a tremendous amount of experience. This is important. Up here in the Great White North (Edmonton) we have a couple new members of the orchestra, and there was a rather humorous moment I remember earlier this season. I was talking with one of our veterans and she mentioned that she had overheard one of the rookies mentioning that there seemed to be a whole lotta music to get through week after week. Said veteran and I shared a knowing chuckle over that. After a few years in an orchestra any good musician learns to get through music quickly, and after a good career there’s not a lot that can really faze a good player. Experience counts.
Then there is the whole concept of institutional knowledge. When you play straight orchestral concerts, opera, AND ballet like the ESO does, there are a lot of different circumstances there where something can go somewhat awry. It is critical that in those situations that the musicians in the orchestra know that: A) something strange has happened; B) time to pay attention. Once again, experience counts. The more you have been in that position the quicker you will recognize it, and the faster you will adjust to the situation.
Orchestras are, by definition, institutions with long memories. Each orchestra has their own traditions and experiences and it is something that should be nurtured. Orchestral veterans are crucial to maintaining a sense of musical order within an ensemble and if they’re doing their job why bother them? Sure, I’m sure you could fire half your violin section tomorrow and fill it with a bunch of young hotshots out of Juilliard , but God help you when you come across that situation when your soloist has suddenly gone off the deep end and you have to make adjustments on the fly. Those kids from The Yard ain’t gonna know squat.
You make excellent points. Does the orchestral world have anything like the corporate world’s “annual review”? That’s when employees get feedback on their previous year’s performance; good stuff noted, suggestions made for areas of growth or improvement, etc. They are, obviously, also a way for organizations to protect their butts by going on record every year about employee performance. If there’s a pattern of declining quality, the organization can demonstrate the necessity of corrective action or firing the employee.
I realize that orchestral contracts probably do not allow for this kind of review. But it’s also the fact that if a violinist is having problems, the other violinists know. It’s not great for morale to keep people around too long who have technical issues.
The Utah Symphony has a violinist who has been playing with them since 1942. That’s no typo. This is her sixty-sixth year as a member and she’s still going strong! Older players give an institution a lot of stability and frequently mentor newbies. I love watching her play – wonderful!
You nailed it Bill!
My wife (Karen) just resigned from her orchestra post, not because she needed to (she was the best player in the clarinet section) but because a car accident left her unable to play at the level that she used to be able to attain. She could have had a job for life… I wonder why some of the players I hear don’t have the guts to hang it up after they are unable to play.
btw, those kids from the “yard” are good, but it takes time to learn how to play in majors. Give me a seasoned vet any day.