Music Dictator Wish List

[Wanderer]

Ban the 'New Year's Day Concert from Vienna' and have everyone associated with it arrested and thrown into prison without trial. 

Finally, the thread's first evil dictator!

[vandermolen]

Finally, the thread's first evil dictator!

Excellent! 

[Biffo]

Ban the 'New Year's Day Concert from Vienna' and have everyone associated with it arrested and thrown into prison without trial. 

I hope you include the audience in that, possibly the worst aspect of this nauseating kitschfest

[ritter]

Finally, the thread's first evil dictator!

An enlightened despot, rather...

[Biffo]

An enlightened despot, rather...

Lord Reith, long time Director General of the BBC, said the best form of government was 'despotism tempered with assassination'.

[Papy Oli]

Alright, you have been named the world's first official Classical Music Dictator. 

Your reign is short and you only have time to implement one official law.

What is your decree?

Have fun.    Remember that you only have the opportunity to implement one law.

Make ALL the concerts all year round in the land start with Malcolm Arnold's Grand Grand Overture. That would make the population happy while boosting the national manufacturing of hoovers and floor polishers.

Win Win.

[Papy Oli]

...or scrap the last night of the Proms (and never make them end) 

[vandermolen]

I hope you include the audience in that, possibly the worst aspect of this nauseating kitschfest

And the self-satisfied and smug (male) BBC Radio 3 (morning) presenter who compered the whole ghastly show. 

[david johnson]

At least 50% of music performed by marching units at ball games, etc., must be marches by King, Sousa, et al. All must be in tune. 

[Mirror Image]

I would implement a law requiring all well-established orchestras (Berliners, Wiener Phil., Concertgebouw, LSO, LPO, NYPO, etc.) to schedule at least 5 works every season that have never performed by the orchestra performing it. For example, if the New York Philharmonic has never performed Szymanowski's Litany to the Virgin Mary and the principal conductor schedules it, then they must perform it. I think this will hopefully introduce audiences to some works that they've never heard before in a concert hall and have, otherwise, only been able to hear from a recording.

[vandermolen]

I would implement a law requiring all well-established orchestras (Berliners, Wiener Phil., Concertgebouw, LSO, LPO, NYPO, etc.) to schedule at least 5 works every season that have never performed by the orchestra performing it. For example, if the New York Philharmonic has never performed Szymanowski's Litany to the Virgin Mary and the principal conductor schedules it, then they must perform it. I think this will hopefully introduce audiences to some works that they've never heard before in a concert hall and have, otherwise, only been able to hear from a recording.

Great idea John! Much more positive than mine. 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Wondering whether or not I'm the only one here who enjoys waltzing?   

PD

[Szykneij]

Bring back music instruction to all schools.

Absolutely! And give the arts the same funding, support, and status as the so-called "core" subjects. There is nothing a student experiences during the entire school day that builds the brain and develops higher-order thinking skills more than playing a musical instrument.

(Disclaimer: Stated by a 20+ year public school music teacher/Fine Arts director who based his Masters thesis and presented workshops on the subject.)

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I would do two things:

Bring back music instruction to all schools.

Require radio to play entire works and not just individual movements.

+1 for both! 

[DavidW]

I would implement a law requiring all well-established orchestras (Berliners, Wiener Phil., Concertgebouw, LSO, LPO, NYPO, etc.) to schedule at least 5 works every season that have never performed by the orchestra performing it. For example, if the New York Philharmonic has never performed Szymanowski's Litany to the Virgin Mary and the principal conductor schedules it, then they must perform it. I think this will hopefully introduce audiences to some works that they've never heard before in a concert hall and have, otherwise, only been able to hear from a recording.

My experience with my local orchestra is that if they play anything from the 20th-21st century outside of show tunes no matter how good their playing they are met with tepid applause.  Play a Beethoven or Mozart symphony no matter how mediocre or uninspired the performance is and a standing ovation every time.  Now obviously, major orchestras are more adventurous and so is their audience... but I still think that it is easy to underestimate how conservative in taste the average concert goer is and musical directors, conductors and boards always have to keep that in mind.  Unfortunately.

But that is truly a great wish list item.  I don't think I've ever had quite so much fun at a concert as when I heard something new to me that hit me like a bolt of lightning.

[Mirror Image]

Great idea John! Much more positive than mine. 

Yeah, you're pretty ruthless.

[Mirror Image]

My experience with my local orchestra is that if they play anything from the 20th-21st century outside of show tunes no matter how good their playing they are met with tepid applause.  Play a Beethoven or Mozart symphony no matter how mediocre or uninspired the performance is and a standing ovation every time.  Now obviously, major orchestras are more adventurous and so is their audience... but I still think that it is easy to underestimate how conservative in taste the average concert goer is and musical directors, conductors and boards always have to keep that in mind.  Unfortunately.

But that is truly a great wish list item.  I don't think I've ever had quite so much fun at a concert as when I heard something new to me that hit me like a bolt of lightning.

Yes, but you see I would implement this law for major orchestras since I know the audiences will be a bit more accepting of works that aren't programmed too often. Also, a board doesn't supersede what is now a musical law and therefore a requirement for all major orchestras.

[Rinaldo]

I would implement a law requiring all well-established orchestras (Berliners, Wiener Phil., Concertgebouw, LSO, LPO, NYPO, etc.) to schedule at least 5 works every season that have never performed by the orchestra performing it.

I'd ramp up the requirements: at least five works from the current decade.

[Florestan]

Wondering whether or not I'm the only one here who enjoys waltzing?   

PD

You're not, although I enjoy waltzes rather than waltzing. 

[Brian]

I'd ramp up the requirements: at least five works from the current decade.

Here in Dallas we achieve that annually but struggle to reach five local premieres of older things. I guess that's a sign of healthy programming? The three local premieres of older works in recent years have been Rachmaninov The Bells, Schmidt Book of Seven Seals, and a Haydn symphony they somehow hadn't done yet.