It’s interesting how wisdom is undeniably wisdom and universally true. Eternal truths are just that- they are applicable in any situation that we can possibly imagine.
I tend to have thoughts of Wagner or Nietzsche, Beethoven or Proust, J.S. Bach or Carlyle running around constantly in my head, almost like a soundtrack to my life. It is these thoughts that animate all that I do and illuminate the actions of others. I want to learn what the great minds of our civilization thought about this world so I can better understand it as well as to better comprehend myself- and isn’t wisdom really the recognition of universal truths and assimilating them into our own thoughts and actions?
So it wasn’t really surprising when, due to a number of reasons, a poem by Walt Whitman lodged itself in my consciousness this morning and refused to go away until I contemplated it further:
Sometimes with one I love I fill myself with rage for fear I effuse
unreturn’d love,
But now I think there is no unreturn’d love, the pay is certain one
way or another,
(I loved a certain person ardently and my love was not return’d,
Yet out of that I have written these songs.)
How beautiful! The more deeply I delved into these lines, it was as if I was hearing them and truly understanding them for the first time. What profound and universal wisdom Whitman was expressing in these few simple words!
Loving others is always right- that undeniably is an eternal truth. And true love doesn’t require, want or expect to be returned. True love is undemanding and unselfish, concerned only with the happiness of others. Yet at the same time, loving purely and selflessly undeniably has positive results, whether that is the inspiration to write poetry, a content, happy heart and a clear conscience or the fruition on the cosmic level of heaven, nirvana or whatever your particular beliefs may hold. The wages of love are truly certain- what incredible insight, profound truths in a few scant lines of poetry!
But what has this to do with an orchestra, you ask? Everything, I say! Wisdom is wisdom, truths are truths, and Whitman’s lines (and the insights they contain) are applicable to any and every situation in life we may encounter.
As an orchestra, we must do what is right, with love- serving the music we perform and the community we represent. Our mission is service. And if we always act with love doing what is right “the pay is certain one way or another-” ultimately good things will happen. Hard work, dedication and good intentions always pay off in the end, although it may be years before the results show themselves. It might not be easy, you may be misunderstood by many, but it is a certainty that the orchestra will reap the “just rewards” of just actions done with love. It is a universal truth beyond question, beyond doubt.
“… there is no unreturn’d love…” words to live, and work, by… always.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Executive Directors and Bass Trombones
Being an executive director of an orchestra necessitates to me, as part of my job description, a regular contact with the art form that I serve. Having trained and worked as a professional musician, I not only enjoy listening to classical music but love continuing to actively perform as a musician as well. As a bass trombonist the opportunities for performing with a chamber orchestra like the ACO are minimal, but the enjoyment from practicing at home is one that never seems to grow old. Love of music grew out of my love of performing music, and I hope to continue playing my trombone as long as I am physically able.
One of the great things about the trombone is that while a Stradivarius violin costs millions of dollars, the “Stradivarius” of the trombone world can be had for mere thousands. I have two of the most sought after bass trombones ever made, crafted in the 1930’s by the C.G. Conn Company in Elkhart, Indiana. They are incredible instruments- the sound they produce is beautiful, unique, almost human. If it is possible for a musical instrument to have a soul, they have it. But my most prized possession is an even older beauty that is so rare that it might be considered the “holy grail” of the bass trombone world.
The art of German musical instrument manufacturing has an old and proud heritage, going back to the “guilds” of the middle ages. For hundreds of years the finest musical instruments in Germany have been hand-produced in small workshops, where apprentices learned the art from masters in an unbroken lineage. The quality of the brass instruments from these workshops was (and is) unparalleled, and in particular, the trombones produced by the workshop of Eduard Kruspe have a mythic, legendary status. The trombones made by Kruspe in Erfurt, Germany, prior to World War II are considered unparalleled in excellence- and are so rare that today only a handful remain in existence. The principal trombone of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra searched for decades before he was able to find one; several members of the Berlin Philharmonic play regularly on Kruspe trombones because they are superior to any modern instrument available.
So imagine my delight when during the summer of 2007 I actually was able to find and take home a Kruspe bass trombone of my own!
It was owned by a delightful gentleman who was a retired professor of music history at Ithaca College in upstate New York. He had bought the instrument as teenager from his trombone teacher in Chicago. This gentleman was a German immigrant musician who played for several seasons in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra- and had bought his Kruspe bass trombone while still in Germany and brought it with him to the “new world.” So I am the incredibly fortunate third owner of a “Kruspe” of my own!
I don’t know exactly how old my beauty is, but looking at the old fashioned, elaborate engraving on the bell it is unmistakably pre-World War I and very well might be from the late 19th Century. Given that she (yes, it is a female- I always did like older women) is at least 90+ years old, she is in fantastic condition. There are some small dings and scratches, but overall she has aged remarkably well.
At first, I was very hesitant to play this beauty- I now understand what must be the initial reluctance to hold a Stradivarius violin in your hands- one slip and a priceless instrument is gone forever! Luckily brass is much sturdier stuff than aged wood! In any case, due to my taking the job with the ACO and all the chores involved in moving and the considerable work involved when taking a new position, my Kruspe was languishing in my spare bedroom, untouched and unplayed…. until now!
This weekend I again held this beautiful instrument in my hands, took a deep breath, and blew… and I couldn’t believe the indescribably gorgeous sounds that came from that old bell! What a sound! Warm, dark and beautiful- I could almost feel the presence of the master craftsman who built this beautiful instrument. It is a very human instrument, not easy to play, full of rough edges, quirks and character like a living being, but it rewards your efforts with a sound unlike any I have ever heard before. The thought of spending the upcoming months and years getting to know this old new friend is an exciting one indeed!
I have made a resolution- no matter the work or other responsibilities, my Kruspe and I are going to spend quality time together every day getting to know each other as only a dedicated musician can know and love their instrument. It is a special and close relationship between a musician and their instrument, almost human in its depth and intensity. And in this case it is also a living link to the past- to the era when Wagner, Brahms, Bruckner and Mahler still lived- by playing on an instrument from that era not only can you feel a special connection to the music of the time you can feel a real human bond to the incredible craftsman who built the instrument- and the musicians who dedicated themselves to making music on this same instrument decades in the past.
One of the great things about the trombone is that while a Stradivarius violin costs millions of dollars, the “Stradivarius” of the trombone world can be had for mere thousands. I have two of the most sought after bass trombones ever made, crafted in the 1930’s by the C.G. Conn Company in Elkhart, Indiana. They are incredible instruments- the sound they produce is beautiful, unique, almost human. If it is possible for a musical instrument to have a soul, they have it. But my most prized possession is an even older beauty that is so rare that it might be considered the “holy grail” of the bass trombone world.
The art of German musical instrument manufacturing has an old and proud heritage, going back to the “guilds” of the middle ages. For hundreds of years the finest musical instruments in Germany have been hand-produced in small workshops, where apprentices learned the art from masters in an unbroken lineage. The quality of the brass instruments from these workshops was (and is) unparalleled, and in particular, the trombones produced by the workshop of Eduard Kruspe have a mythic, legendary status. The trombones made by Kruspe in Erfurt, Germany, prior to World War II are considered unparalleled in excellence- and are so rare that today only a handful remain in existence. The principal trombone of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra searched for decades before he was able to find one; several members of the Berlin Philharmonic play regularly on Kruspe trombones because they are superior to any modern instrument available.
So imagine my delight when during the summer of 2007 I actually was able to find and take home a Kruspe bass trombone of my own!
It was owned by a delightful gentleman who was a retired professor of music history at Ithaca College in upstate New York. He had bought the instrument as teenager from his trombone teacher in Chicago. This gentleman was a German immigrant musician who played for several seasons in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra- and had bought his Kruspe bass trombone while still in Germany and brought it with him to the “new world.” So I am the incredibly fortunate third owner of a “Kruspe” of my own!
I don’t know exactly how old my beauty is, but looking at the old fashioned, elaborate engraving on the bell it is unmistakably pre-World War I and very well might be from the late 19th Century. Given that she (yes, it is a female- I always did like older women) is at least 90+ years old, she is in fantastic condition. There are some small dings and scratches, but overall she has aged remarkably well.
At first, I was very hesitant to play this beauty- I now understand what must be the initial reluctance to hold a Stradivarius violin in your hands- one slip and a priceless instrument is gone forever! Luckily brass is much sturdier stuff than aged wood! In any case, due to my taking the job with the ACO and all the chores involved in moving and the considerable work involved when taking a new position, my Kruspe was languishing in my spare bedroom, untouched and unplayed…. until now!
This weekend I again held this beautiful instrument in my hands, took a deep breath, and blew… and I couldn’t believe the indescribably gorgeous sounds that came from that old bell! What a sound! Warm, dark and beautiful- I could almost feel the presence of the master craftsman who built this beautiful instrument. It is a very human instrument, not easy to play, full of rough edges, quirks and character like a living being, but it rewards your efforts with a sound unlike any I have ever heard before. The thought of spending the upcoming months and years getting to know this old new friend is an exciting one indeed!
I have made a resolution- no matter the work or other responsibilities, my Kruspe and I are going to spend quality time together every day getting to know each other as only a dedicated musician can know and love their instrument. It is a special and close relationship between a musician and their instrument, almost human in its depth and intensity. And in this case it is also a living link to the past- to the era when Wagner, Brahms, Bruckner and Mahler still lived- by playing on an instrument from that era not only can you feel a special connection to the music of the time you can feel a real human bond to the incredible craftsman who built the instrument- and the musicians who dedicated themselves to making music on this same instrument decades in the past.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Goethe and Orchestra Management
Goethe undoubtedly possessed one of the greatest minds that our civilization has produced. Not only was he a true polymath with seemingly unlimited knowledge and intellectual curiosity, but he was one of the wisest men ever to put pen to paper. Timeless adages can be found on every page of his literary creations- his books are literally bursting with pearls of wisdom.
Goethe was not only a man of letters, he was truly a "man of the world" as well- as part of his service to the Court of Weimar for a number of years he successfully lead the Court Theater, a golden age for German drama when several of both his and Schiller's works were debuted and the highest standards of artistic excellence were upheld. It seems to me, then, that it would behoove all managers of performing arts organizations to become conversant with Goethe and his views on management and life in general. How often can one get advice professional advice from a genius?
Goethe directly discusses managing a theater in two well-known works: his novel Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship and the Conversations of Goethe with Eckermann.
The Conversations, called by Nietzsche, by the way, "The best German book there is...," has Goethe recalling in a number of conversations with his young acolyte Eckermann his beliefs on leading a successful theater. The crux of Goethe's beliefs can be distilled in this statement: "The knotty point is to so deal with contingencies that we are not tempted to deviate from our higher maxims.” He goes on to say that in an outer sense this constitutes sticking to a core of artistically excellent works, and to insert what he calls “novelties” or “contingencies”- those works that are passing fads among patrons, possess some extra-artistic interest, or engaging an artist to boost audiences or due to audience demand- in an extremely limited and judicious manner. Artistic excellence is the ultimate criterion, performing only the finest works at the highest level possible, and leading the theater in a way that remains true to the spirit of great art. Which leads me nicely to the second quote from Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship…
Goethe believed that great art represented something very profound, sacred and true, and at its highest levels represented universal truths and morality of the highest order. An organization that acts in the spirit of the great art it performs cannot help but be successful; conversely, if they act in a contrary manner they eventually will fail because it violates the spirit of the art they purport to represent and promote.
I can’t help inserting a passage (including Goethe’s quote from Wilhelm Meister) from a report I presented to the League of American Orchestras that puts this view simply and clearly, and, by the way, caused a Pavlovian reaction (in a negative sense) from some of the senior leadership of that organization:
“Our vision is an orchestra that is dedicated completely to the music we play, the community we serve and the continuance of the orchestra for the good of that community. But most importantly, our vision encompasses an organization that always acts selflessly, respectfully and with kindness and compassion. It is not in what you do but in what motivates what you do that true vision lies. Goethe wrote, ‘The spirit in which we act is the highest matter. Action can be understood and again represented by the spirit alone.’ An organization that acts in harmony with the spirit of the art we serve will be successful, while those that violate that spirit are bound to ultimately fail.”
Enough said- you can draw your own conclusions. This is my personal philosophy on orchestra management and guides all of my actions with the ACO. If Goethe is on my side my reasoning can’t be all wrong!
Larry
Goethe was not only a man of letters, he was truly a "man of the world" as well- as part of his service to the Court of Weimar for a number of years he successfully lead the Court Theater, a golden age for German drama when several of both his and Schiller's works were debuted and the highest standards of artistic excellence were upheld. It seems to me, then, that it would behoove all managers of performing arts organizations to become conversant with Goethe and his views on management and life in general. How often can one get advice professional advice from a genius?
Goethe directly discusses managing a theater in two well-known works: his novel Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship and the Conversations of Goethe with Eckermann.
The Conversations, called by Nietzsche, by the way, "The best German book there is...," has Goethe recalling in a number of conversations with his young acolyte Eckermann his beliefs on leading a successful theater. The crux of Goethe's beliefs can be distilled in this statement: "The knotty point is to so deal with contingencies that we are not tempted to deviate from our higher maxims.” He goes on to say that in an outer sense this constitutes sticking to a core of artistically excellent works, and to insert what he calls “novelties” or “contingencies”- those works that are passing fads among patrons, possess some extra-artistic interest, or engaging an artist to boost audiences or due to audience demand- in an extremely limited and judicious manner. Artistic excellence is the ultimate criterion, performing only the finest works at the highest level possible, and leading the theater in a way that remains true to the spirit of great art. Which leads me nicely to the second quote from Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship…
Goethe believed that great art represented something very profound, sacred and true, and at its highest levels represented universal truths and morality of the highest order. An organization that acts in the spirit of the great art it performs cannot help but be successful; conversely, if they act in a contrary manner they eventually will fail because it violates the spirit of the art they purport to represent and promote.
I can’t help inserting a passage (including Goethe’s quote from Wilhelm Meister) from a report I presented to the League of American Orchestras that puts this view simply and clearly, and, by the way, caused a Pavlovian reaction (in a negative sense) from some of the senior leadership of that organization:
“Our vision is an orchestra that is dedicated completely to the music we play, the community we serve and the continuance of the orchestra for the good of that community. But most importantly, our vision encompasses an organization that always acts selflessly, respectfully and with kindness and compassion. It is not in what you do but in what motivates what you do that true vision lies. Goethe wrote, ‘The spirit in which we act is the highest matter. Action can be understood and again represented by the spirit alone.’ An organization that acts in harmony with the spirit of the art we serve will be successful, while those that violate that spirit are bound to ultimately fail.”
Enough said- you can draw your own conclusions. This is my personal philosophy on orchestra management and guides all of my actions with the ACO. If Goethe is on my side my reasoning can’t be all wrong!
Larry
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Welcome to the ACO Blog!
Welcome to the Atlantic Classical Orchestra's very own blog! This is a "brave new world" for the ACO and I hope that it will be a truly positive experience for everyone- those that actually post as well as those that take the time to read the information and opinions expressed.
Why, you may ask, does a professional chamber orchestra need a blog? This is a legitimate question and one that I pondered long and hard before I embarked upon this project. To me, the answer to that question is twofold. First of all, it is a legitimate way of communicating to our patrons and the community at large. This is NOT a cheap marketing ploy designed by a Machiavellian mind. It is a sincere effort by the staff, musicians and volunteers of the ACO to share with others information about our orchestra and to let them know who we are as individuals, musicians and professionals. As in everything that we do as human beings, our inner intentions inform and guide our outer actions, and our intent in this blog is communication and sharing.
Secondly, and much more importantly in my view, is a chance to express our philosophies on music and orchestras and why it is that we exist as an organization. Speaking personally, as a orchestra manager I am distressed by the obsession in the arts and non-profit community with lucre and fundraising. Yes, we need enough money to operate, but no, it is not our raison d'etre. To borrow a Biblical phrase (sorry, Matthew), "You cannot serve music and mammon." Again, our inner intentions inform all of our outward actions, and I want our patrons and the community at large to understand the philosophy that ultimately is behind all that we do as an organization.
Finally, as music (and all great art) is not created in a vacuum, we hope to show the underlying links between great art and the great thoughts and ideas of mankind.
Weighty issues, these, and we hope that you join us in the conversation.
Enjoy!
Larry
Why, you may ask, does a professional chamber orchestra need a blog? This is a legitimate question and one that I pondered long and hard before I embarked upon this project. To me, the answer to that question is twofold. First of all, it is a legitimate way of communicating to our patrons and the community at large. This is NOT a cheap marketing ploy designed by a Machiavellian mind. It is a sincere effort by the staff, musicians and volunteers of the ACO to share with others information about our orchestra and to let them know who we are as individuals, musicians and professionals. As in everything that we do as human beings, our inner intentions inform and guide our outer actions, and our intent in this blog is communication and sharing.
Secondly, and much more importantly in my view, is a chance to express our philosophies on music and orchestras and why it is that we exist as an organization. Speaking personally, as a orchestra manager I am distressed by the obsession in the arts and non-profit community with lucre and fundraising. Yes, we need enough money to operate, but no, it is not our raison d'etre. To borrow a Biblical phrase (sorry, Matthew), "You cannot serve music and mammon." Again, our inner intentions inform all of our outward actions, and I want our patrons and the community at large to understand the philosophy that ultimately is behind all that we do as an organization.
Finally, as music (and all great art) is not created in a vacuum, we hope to show the underlying links between great art and the great thoughts and ideas of mankind.
Weighty issues, these, and we hope that you join us in the conversation.
Enjoy!
Larry
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