Jimi Michiel

Seattle is a non-AFM orchestra, right? I remember hearing that their "guild" is one of the reasons they can do so much recording (no AFM red tape), but also has left the musicians with less say in the hiring/firing process. Someone in the article brought up Ormandy... Szell would probably be a better comparison.

It sounds like Schwartz wants to run his orchestra like they did "in the old days." He wants to decide who stays and who goes. In Seattle's case, it looks like this has led to some very serious problems. It's a fine line between fairness to the musicians and achieving a musical goal--the process in which someone is hired and/or let go buy an orchestra is more fair than it was before standardized audition procedures and orchestra committees, but it has also resulted in more cookie cutter playing. I like the fact that my Reiner/CSO recordings sound different than my Szell/Cleveland and Ormandy/Philly recordings, even if (especially in Cleveland) the musicians weren't treated as well as they are today. After several decades of "fair" auditions, orchestras are sounding more and more like one another. I don't know the Seattle Symphony well enough to form an opinion on whether Schwartz is going after a specific sound or if this is just a horrible case of politics and favoritism (probably some of both?). It's an unfortunate situation though. I can't imagine the circumstances that led to vandalism and sabotage. It certainly doesn't shine a positive light on anyone involved.

-Jimi

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