Jeff, my intent was not to argue over your dissatisfaction with Dudamel's appearance frequency. That's your opinion and I respect it. I just wanted to point out that his appearance at the podium is no different than most other conductors of the major orchestras and your assessment of him as a no show based on your numbers, was seemingly unfair and unjustified. Best to agree to disagree and move on.
Here in Chicago, the Music Director typically conducts around 10-12 weeks out of a 30-32 week downtown season. This is probably a rather ordinary fraction for many orchestras.
And then there's touring. Muti just finished a two week North American tour with the CSO:
Jeff, I can see math is not your strong suite. The LA Phil Concert subscription year at Disney Hall is from Sept 27 to June 4. That's their classical subscription series and doesn't include Hollywood Bowl or the Ford, which are different subscriptions. At Disney Hall, there were 110 performances and Dudamel conduced 37. You don't have to be from LA to know that's not 5%. However, I appreciate the fact you didn't feel as though your subscription was a good value and below your expectations. That's fine. But why use faulty reasoning to support your viewpoint?
In a typical Disney Hall season ticket package, you get Dudamel 1-2x. Maybe that’s typical of other orchestras I don’t know. I’ve also been an on/off sub over the years but quit because of this reason. I’d rather just pick 1- 2 shows each year then commit to 7 on Saturday nights.
here’s a typical package - 7 shows, 2 are dudamel. Kinda sucks if you need Saturday night shows (where good tickets are hard). And some of the Friday casual shows are crap even with him.
As two Black women composers working in the 1930s, unrecognized and unsupported by their field and the country in which they lived, Florence Price and Margaret Bonds forged a lasting relationship as mentor and student, as musical collaborators, as champions of one another’s art, and as friends...
In a typical Disney Hall season ticket package, you get Dudamel 1-2x. Maybe that’s typical of other orchestras I don’t know. I’ve also been an on/off sub over the years but quit because of this reason. I’d rather just pick 1- 2 shows each year then commit to 7 on Saturday nights.
here’s a typical package - 7 shows, 2 are dudamel. Kinda sucks if you need Saturday night shows (where good tickets are hard). And some of the Friday casual shows are crap even with him.
As two Black women composers working in the 1930s, unrecognized and unsupported by their field and the country in which they lived, Florence Price and Margaret Bonds forged a lasting relationship as mentor and student, as musical collaborators, as champions of one another’s art, and as friends...
Keith, I think the experience of the music director conducting a minority of the concerts is not unique to LA. Futhermore, getting any series most likely results in most of your concerts not being conducted by the music director. Same is true in NY and Philly. I think the big difference over the years for series subscriptions is that 20 years ago, you felt that you had little option other than to subscribe to a long 7 concert series because that's what was offered. But things have changed now and many orchestras have programs such as "make your own" or "pick 3" and the reason for that is sadly, classical music just isn't as popular as it once was. Orchestras know that a commitment to 6 or more concerts isn't as easy a sell as a shorter series or 3 or 4. That's why you can pick shows selectively now. My own experience is that unless there is a superstar performer (i.e a Wang or a Kavakos or a Jonas Kaufman), most concert halls are not sold out these days. (Maybe other major orchestras are different than in NY?)
Before COVID, my wife and I attended a lot of classical music concerts - up to 70 a year, including around 25 or more during our annual visits to London and environs. They varied from solo piano recitals, to chamber music to orchestral concerts and operas. For major orchestras these days, it is unusual for the music director (like Dudamel with the LAPhil) to conduct more than half the concerts during a season. We would often see MTT conduct the London Symphony in London during June, when he typically came to conduct a few concerts. He was the principal guest conductor of the LSO at the same time he was MD of the San Francisco SO. We also saw Dudamel in Berkeley conducting his Venezuelan Youth Orchestra at the same time he was MD at the LA Phil.
Back in the day, I started going to the SFS when I was a grad student at Berkeley in the late '60's. They had a special deal for students and I went to the entire series in quite decent seats for a bargain price. The famed Austrian conductor Joseph Krips was the MD then (followed by Ozawa) and Krips conducted the vast majority of the concerts. But that was then, and the SFS was not at the same level as it is now and I don't think MD's of major orchestras had two or three jobs, with jets taking them around the world to conduct.
In a typical Disney Hall season ticket package, you get Dudamel 1-2x. Maybe that’s typical of other orchestras I don’t know. I’ve also been an on/off sub over the years but quit because of this reason. I’d rather just pick 1- 2 shows each year then commit to 7 on Saturday nights.
here’s a typical package - 7 shows, 2 are dudamel. Kinda sucks if you need Saturday night shows (where good tickets are hard). And some of the Friday casual shows are crap even with him.
Erosion of hall's namesake can't be discounted in ongoing changes. It also rests on a very costly parcel of land I believe is actively being defended. A trip to the LA historical society webpage isn't required to gain awareness very few prominent structures in this country survive outside those designated for ecumenical or government use.
In this case I believe Dudamel imposed needed structure while facing international pressure. Clearly some movement on that front has been recognized here. Some trickery with numbers taking place over the barrel. May his willing replacement waiting in the wings bring back lost enjoyment.
www.laphil.com
