By Daniel J. Wakin
Take 50 to 100 highly trained musicians, put instruments in their hands, place ’em on stage and charge admission. It’s called an orchestra. But how do you organize them? Pay them? Make use of their time? Keep them happy? Keep audiences happy?
All sorts of models exist. I had a chat with Ivan Fischer, who leads the Budapest Festival Orchestra, at a Lincoln Center bakery/eatery on Friday, and he told the story of his group. It sounded pretty special. Now since I have not looked closely at exactly how the orchestra works, it is hard to gauge the reality. But at the least, Mr. Fischer’s description sounded like a fine ideal. The Budapest Festival Orchestra has been around since 1983, when Mr. Fischer, a budding freelance conductor at the time, decided to settle down and helped establish it. But it has not achieved the notice in this country of other top European bands. It has concert dates Friday night and Sunday afternoon as part of Lincoln Center’s Great Performers series.
All sorts of models exist. I had a chat with Ivan Fischer, who leads the Budapest Festival Orchestra, at a Lincoln Center bakery/eatery on Friday, and he told the story of his group. It sounded pretty special. Now since I have not looked closely at exactly how the orchestra works, it is hard to gauge the reality. But at the least, Mr. Fischer’s description sounded like a fine ideal. The Budapest Festival Orchestra has been around since 1983, when Mr. Fischer, a budding freelance conductor at the time, decided to settle down and helped establish it. But it has not achieved the notice in this country of other top European bands. It has concert dates Friday night and Sunday afternoon as part of Lincoln Center’s Great Performers series.
Mr. Fischer’s orchestra, he said, has three cardinal virtues, established at its creation: an emphasis on the players’ individual creativity; few rules, for maximum flexibility; and unusual programming.
Thus, on Point 1, the orchestra has internal concerto competitions, so not just principals get to play solos. Players are encouraged to come up with their own chamber music programs. Seating rotates. “More active musicians make a better team,” said Mr. Fischer, who speaks slowly with a Hungarian accent. The no-rules rule means no long-term contracts, no overtime and auditions that end up with five or six finalists who play with the orchestra.
Innovative programs mean daylong festivals devoted to a composer; surprise concerts, in which the program is unknown until the players come on stage; and sight-reading concerts, in which a slip of paper is drawn out of a tuba bell with a seat number. The person in that seat then picks the piece. A truck with the orchestra library is waiting outside, so the parts can be delivered. Next season, the orchestra comes to Carnegie Hall with Gypsy musicians.
Often readers of material like the above will write in and say, “Gee, that’s all very well, but my orchestra has been doing those things for ages; you failed to mention X, Y and Z.” So consider this an open invitation to comment on ArtsBeat about orchestra models, model orchestras and interesting features of both.
Thus, on Point 1, the orchestra has internal concerto competitions, so not just principals get to play solos. Players are encouraged to come up with their own chamber music programs. Seating rotates. “More active musicians make a better team,” said Mr. Fischer, who speaks slowly with a Hungarian accent. The no-rules rule means no long-term contracts, no overtime and auditions that end up with five or six finalists who play with the orchestra.
Innovative programs mean daylong festivals devoted to a composer; surprise concerts, in which the program is unknown until the players come on stage; and sight-reading concerts, in which a slip of paper is drawn out of a tuba bell with a seat number. The person in that seat then picks the piece. A truck with the orchestra library is waiting outside, so the parts can be delivered. Next season, the orchestra comes to Carnegie Hall with Gypsy musicians.
Often readers of material like the above will write in and say, “Gee, that’s all very well, but my orchestra has been doing those things for ages; you failed to mention X, Y and Z.” So consider this an open invitation to comment on ArtsBeat about orchestra models, model orchestras and interesting features of both.
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