{"id":7779,"date":"2017-06-02T01:49:25","date_gmt":"2017-06-02T00:49:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/?p=7779"},"modified":"2017-06-03T21:57:58","modified_gmt":"2017-06-03T20:57:58","slug":"eso-2016-7-in-review-the-good","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/2017\/06\/02\/eso-2016-7-in-review-the-good\/","title":{"rendered":"ESO 2016-7 in review. The good"},"content":{"rendered":"

This past Sunday afternoon, I conducted the ESO in a performance of Tchaikovksy\u2019s String Serenade which marked the end of our main 2016-7 season. Between now and our return from the summer holidays, my colleagues are doing some fascinating chamber music concerts, the Bach B minor Mass with the wonderful Sarah MacDonald<\/a> guest conducting, and a few engagements, but for me, the end of our main season is always an important milestone.<\/p>\n

What to say about a year like this? I fear most of the really good (outrageous) stories will have to wait for my memoirs. Have no fear, I will write them if I have time and good health, and they\u2019ll be pretty damn funny, occasionally shocking and hopefully interesting when they\u2019re done.<\/p>\n

Well, what I can say is that it has been one hell of a year. Depending on how you measure it (I joined the ESO mid-season and my title and duties have changed two or three times since then), this is about my fourth year give or take a year or two minus the odd hiatus. The orchestra has been through a huge amount of change in that time. Almost all of it is change for the better, much of it long overdue, but it\u2019s all happened against a backdrop of austerity, economic upheaval and political instability that has made everything that little bit more of an uphill battle.<\/p>\n

Every arts organisation I know these days is frighteningly under-resourced. Because the ESO was going through a difficult patch before the 2008 financial crisis, they were already under-resourced even before the cuts started coming in. I don\u2019t think most people are prepared for what they would see if they look behind the curtain at most performing arts organisations- a gaunt and bleary-eyed skeleton crew soldiering on through untold hours of thankless grunt work to keep the music playing, only be regularly let down by complacent contractors or flaky partners.<\/p>\n

So, why do it when we \u00a0must spend so much time up to our noses in frustration and worry? I suppose one does it because every once in a while, you get one of \u201cthose\u201d concerts or events which refreshes, revives and sustains you for the next year or so. It\u2019s the concert that lights the world (maybe just your world) on fire, the new piece that changes your life, or the guest artist who makes you remember why you perform that keeps you going.<\/p>\n

What was amazing about this year is that, after three years of hard work, change and investment, we found ourselves having a year of LOTS of those kind of breakthrough projects, one after another. I hope I can look forward to years in which I\u2019ll make more money, get more sleep and perform for more people, but I\u2019d have to be one luck SOB to have a year with so many incredible projects with the same band.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>September: Krenek- Piano Concertos vol 2. Recordings at Wyastone Concert Hall<\/strong><\/p>\n

Recording volume one of the Krenek concerti with Mikhail Korzhev and the ESO was about as much fun as recording\/music-making gets. Misha is an incredible pianist, but also a funny, sweet, kind guy with an incredible work ethic. The sessions were a joy and it was also great to work with Michael Haas producing- I have so many of his Decca CDs on my shelves, from the Entartete Musik series to things with Chicago and Pavarotti. To my great surprise (I had thought I was one of about ten people in the world who liked Krenek), the first disc was a huge success. One couldn\u2019t help but worry that the magic would be harder to capture the second time around. Fortunately, this year\u2019s repertoire was, if anything, even stronger, the orchestra has come on even more, we were able to make better use of the hall\u2019s vaunted acoustic by extending the stage, and we were joined by three more wonderful co-soloists. NY Phil pianist Eric Heubner joined Misha for the Concerto for Two Pianos, which is a funny (it\u2019s a series of atonal variations on O Sole Mio) and thrilling piece. Violinist Nurit Pacht played with infinitely refined tone, elegant style and uncanny intonation in the Double Concerto for Violin and Piano, a work I completely fell in love with, and organist Adrian Partington was class personified in the Little Concerto for Organ, String Quartet, Flute and Clarinet, a marvellous, quirky and moving little work. Three wonderful days that I didn\u2019t want to end.<\/p>\n

More
\nMusicWeb<\/a>
\nClassical Source<\/a>
\nSunday Times<\/a><\/p>\n