mazzrick

Ed and all,

I've been traveling the last week or so to a few European cities that might be considered musical centers of the world. One even calls itself the music capital of the world. My trip has taken me from Berlin to Prague to Vienna to Paris where I am right now. I have seen a good few concerts so far.

Berlin : Berliner Philharmoniker - 15 euros front row seat
Birwhistle : The Shadow of Night
Strauss : Ein Heldenleben

- - Didn't go to this because it was a Gala concert and tickets were from 100 euros and had been sold out for months- -
Prague : Prague Royal Orchestra (comprised of players from the all the big Czech orchestras and operas)
Smetana : Ma Vlast
Dvorak : Symphony from the New World

Vienna :Wiener Statsoper - 9 euros 2nd level box seat
Puccini : La Boehme

Vienna : Wiener Symphoniker (in the Musik Verein) - 5 euro standing room
Schubert : 8th Symphony in B minor (Unfinished)
Bruckner : 7th Symphony

Ok now to my point. All of these orchestras were playing music perfectly programed to their demographic. Strauss in Germany, all Czech composers in Czech Rep., all Viennese in Vienna. Also, all of this music must have been played for these audiences at least a few hundred times since it was premiered. However, the Birtwhistle piece will probably only be played that one program by the Berlin Phil. and then put away for a long time. Maybe they'll play in again in five years or so.

I think that a major reason these audiences so love these pieces is that they are familiar with them. They can sing a bit when they go in and they leave with the music stuck in their heads for the week. Something I've noticed with orchestras who try and put a modern work of each program is that they seem to play a different piece each time and they play it once and then put it away. I think that if the Berlin Phil took Birtwhistle's "The Shadow of Night" and played it each season for a few years, people would become familiar with it and would then flock to the concerts because of that.

After a while you would see each of Berlin's 8 or 9 orchestras playing Birtwhistle in the same season instead of having 7 Beethoven 5's and 6 Beethoven 3's this year and 4 nights in a row or Turangalila Symphony played by 3 different orchestras (not that that's a bad thing).

I think, especially with more academic or complex music, that audiences need more than one listening for the music to really start catching on. Thoughts? Also where else can you get opera tickets for 2.50??!!

Matt