Posted by Doug on July 01, 2003 at 16:21:08:
In Reply to: Re: Re: "How to Kill Orchestras" - NY Times posted by Rick Denney on July 01, 2003 at 14:43:06:
Didn't John WIlliams routinely do that very thing during his time with the Boston Pops? Feidler recorded Paul SImon's music, Keith Lockhart is doing film scores and latin hits and broadway and just about everything. Strangely enough, this setup seems to work.
Local pride--The ASO is similar, but they manage to do "serious" concerts as well as "pops" concerts, rahter than dividing up and having two seperate orchestras. If I had the time, I'd be at the classic Chastain concerts along with the Mozart and Bruckner concerts.
Just hit me--Williams actually recorded several movie scores with the Boston Pops (Saving Private Ryan comes to mind). Maybe if more composers would do that? The LSO seems to be popular in this regard, but (not to be ethno-centric) having some more american orchestras doing this might be a good thing.
Doug "just don't assume 'modern' music will attract younger audiences--John Adams' El Nino is definitely modern but also drove half the audience away during intermisison" G