So Why Would A Conductor Play This With His Orchestra?

[Cato]

I heard a broadcast concert of the Dayton Philharmonic over the weekend with American works.

Charles Ives' The Unanswered Question and Central Park in the Dark were played with an effort by a certain George Walker : A Lyric for Strings.

The latter was a pale imitation of Barber's Adagio for Strings or even Mahler's Adagietto from the Symphony #5.

I wondered why the conductor would bother with this obviously inferior work, with nothing original or memorable in it.

A. He likes it, despite my opinion!   
B. He thinks it's different enough to be given a shot.   
C. If B is true, then also involved is that the other two works are now considered overplayed warhorses.   

The complaints about the Schumann work "Das Paradies... therefore also made me wonder: why would anyone put together such a fine ensemble for an inferior work?  Why would the conductor not record something better?

A. He likes it, despite my opinion!   
B. He thinks it's different enough to be given a shot.   
C. Schumann sells, even inferior Schumann.

Or: something conservative and traditionally tonal sells, so rather than give a break to e.g. Karl Henning or other composers here, they have to compete with an attitude that it is better to take a risk on minor composers from the past with cravats and Brahmsian beards (e.g. Raff), or on minor works from major composers,  than to give a break to a contemporary composer.

To be fair, I suspect there are not many live concerts offering Raff symphonies in any given year.  But when you consider the recording companies spending money on a CD for Lord Berners or for Grofe...!!!   

And we know what happens if a conductor becomes a little too adventurous in his programming!        (rf. Boulez in New York 35 years ago.)

Ideas and comments?  How many concerts have you heard and wondered: "Why did they program this?!"

[MishaK]

I heard a broadcast concert of the Dayton Philharmonic over the weekend with American works.

Charles Ives' The Unanswered Question and Central Park in the Dark were played with an effort by a certain George Walker : A Lyric for Strings.

The latter was a pale imitation of Barber's Adagio for Strings or even Mahler's Adagietto from the Symphony #5.

Hardly. I suspect you heard an unconvincing performance or just didn't know what to expect of the Ives. Give Tilson Thomas or Bernstein a try in that repertoire. You'll (hopefully) change your mind.

[Wendell_E]

Hardly. I suspect you heard an unconvincing performance or just didn't know what to expect of the Ives. Give Tilson Thomas or Bernstein a try in that repertoire. You'll (hopefully) change your mind.

The "pale imitation" Cato referred to was the Walker, not the Ives.

[Cato]

The "pale imitation" Cato referred to was the Walker, not the Ives.

Right!   

Addendum: the major work on the Dayton Philharmonic concert was the Concerto for Chamber Orchestra by Peter Schickele!

It was - as one would expect - a fun work, but not slapsticky like P.D.Q. Bach.

To be sure it is composed in the "American Sound" school of Copland, etc.  But was much more original than the Walker.

I thought afterward that there should have been a second Schickele work to replace the Walker.

[Mark]

Great thread ... in that it's reminded me I need to hear that Ives work again soon.

[MishaK]

The "pale imitation" Cato referred to was the Walker, not the Ives.

Oops. Sorry.

[gmstudio]

I wondered why the conductor would bother with this obviously inferior work, with nothing original or memorable in it.

Perhaps a very influential board member mentioned something about it in "passing" (as highly influential board members are known to do at times) and the conductor was merely appeasing through gritted teeth.

[Cato]

Perhaps a very influential board member mentioned something about it in "passing" (as highly influential board members are known to do at times) and the conductor was merely appeasing through gritted teeth.

Excellent suggestion!  I had forgotten about the "politics" of orchestral programming.

That jogs a memory about an orchestra whose percussionist was also on the board!

Talk about beating the band!   

(Really, true story!  No conductor was happy about the situation.)