"Welcome to Shorworld": the rise of wealthy dilettante composer Alexey Shor

[DavidW]

If any of these professional musicians has serious reservations about playing this music they ought to refuse the fee and let this wealthy composer find someone else for his project.  But to take the money, play the concert, and then complain about how compromised they feel ... is in bad taste.

That is not how concerts work, though. It is usually a board or committee that chooses the programs, usually in consultation with the director. The orchestra members don't get that much of a say. Musicians would choose more diverse, challenging and exciting works and not say Brahms' 2nd for the 79th time.

Bad-mouthing the establishment on social media and choices made would be in bad taste, but just complaining to their friends and family that they didn't like what they were made to play is just human nature and nothing to wag one's finger at.

[DavidW]

On a much smaller, but personal scale, I am a "leader" and practitioner of a rather radical grading system, but the one major caveat of our system is that we recognize the cost of using it, and understand, fully, why most will not, as jobs are precarious, and I will never begrudge someone choosing to make money to pay bills or create wealth for their families; it's only logical.

Is it specifications grading?

[Todd]

but just complaining to their friends and family that they didn't like what they were made to play is just human nature and nothing to wag one's finger at.

If it is being covered on GMG, the artists under consideration did not confine gripes to friends and family.

[San Antone]

That is not how concerts work, though. It is usually a board or committee that chooses the programs, usually in consultation with the director. The orchestra members don't get that much of a say. Musicians would choose more diverse, challenging and exciting works and not say Brahms' 2nd for the 79th time.

I doubt Shor's concerts went through that process, but were subsidized by him and the artists approached directly or through their agent.  Anyone can rent Carnegie Hall and put on a concert of whatever music they wish; they can also pay to record their music.  They can promote the concert or recording and hire the best musicians that agree to perform.  Which is what I assume happened with Shor's recordings and concerts.

Most of my life I have been a professional musician. I know that most of the time I was hired to play music which I did not choose, and most of the time it was work, not the kind of music I would play for love. Being a professional musician that is the gig.  only immature prima donnas complain about the music they are hired to play. 

I take note of Ron Carter's (world class bassist, who's appeared on 1,000s of recordings) attitude when asked about the many recording sessions he's been on.  He has humbly said that his goal is to bring his talent to the job and do his best to realize the composer's/songwriter's/bandleader's vision.

This is the life of a professional musician.

[DavidW]

If it is being covered on GMG, the artists under consideration did not confine gripes to friends and family.

Well, color me confused. It is difficult to tell when someone is explicitly talking about Schor or speaking broadly about commissions. This conversation quickly turned baggy and vague.

[Todd]

Well, color me confused. It is difficult to tell when someone is explicitly talking about Schor or speaking broadly about commissions. This conversation quickly turned baggy and vague.

Doesn't matter.  The gripes are public. 

[DavidW]

Doesn't matter.  The gripes are public. 

Yeah, I'm just tired.

[San Antone]

Not that you need any backing, but your words reminded me of this video - start around 3 min 30 sec (the criticism section):

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dne7aTMF5xE

Wonderful clip, and attitude. I agree wholeheartedly with him.

[Florestan]

Most of my life I have been a professional musician. I know that most of the time I was hired to play music which I did not choose, and most of the time it was work, not the kind of music I would play for love. Being a professional musician that is the gig.  only immature prima donnas complain about the music they are hired to play. 

I take note of Ron Carter's (world class bassist, who's appeared on 1,000s of recordings) attitude when asked about the many recording sessions he's been on.  He has humbly said that his goal is to bring his talent to the job and do his best to realize the composer's/songwriter's/bandleader's vision.

This is the life of a professional musician.

And switching from performer to composer, that was the life of a professional composer too, at least until the early 1800s. They wrote music mostly, if not exclusively, on commission, bringing their talent to the job and doing their best to realize the commissioner's vision or requirements. The first and foremost example is Haydn. And when it comes to opera composers, things were even more fluid: they had to negotiate their way through not one, but several requirements, often at variance with each other, if not downright contradictory. Under such conditions any composer, no matter how talented, who had not at least a modicum of social adeptness and flexibility had little chance of having his music performed --- and in those times audience-centered successful performances was any composer's ultimate dream and goal.

I'm not saying it was an ideal situation, but I believe it ensured greater and healthier interaction between composers, performers and audiences than the post-Beethovenian, composer-centered solipsism.

[Brian]

And "Memories" is more bearable than Mr. Shor's 4th violin concerto.

Guess what is getting a full Naxos release in December...



According to the booklet, Shor will be the composer-in-residence for the Oxford Philharmonic for two years, 2024-26.

[Karl Henning]

Guess what is getting a full Naxos release in December...



According to the booklet, Shor will be the composer-in-residence for the Oxford Philharmonic for two years, 2024-26.

Anyone with the resources to arrange the performances and recordings can be distributed by Naxos, yes. I cannot comment on the Oxford Phil.

[(poco) Sforzando]

That violin concerto gets around.

[Karl Henning]

That violin concerto gets around.

The two most threatening words in classical music: Alexey Shor Violin Concerto Number Four.

[Florestan]

The guy doesn't compel anyone to play or record his music, on the contrary, he pays good money to anyone willing to play or record it. I see nothing wrong with that. Then, there are people willing to pay tickets to hear his music live. I see nothing wrong with that, either.

[Maestro267]

The money probably compels them.

[Brian]

Then, there are people willing to pay tickets to hear his music live. I see nothing wrong with that, either.

It sounds like this would be hard to judge, since he contractually obliges competition prizewinners etc to include his music on programs. You would have to survey the ticket buyers on why they came to the concert...

[Todd]

You would have to survey the ticket buyers on why they came to the concert...

After having overheard many conversations at different concerts, I would love to see such a survey. 

[Florestan]

It sounds like this would be hard to judge, since he contractually obliges competition prizewinners etc to include his music on programs.

Well, a contract is a freely-entered-upon agreement. If winning this or that competition implies having to perform Shor's music, then those who don't want to play it should not compete. It's that simple. I doubt, though, that in the real classical music world there's as much outrage and handwringing in this respect as on GMG...

You would have to survey the ticket buyers on why they came to the concert...

That's true, they may primarily come for the other pieces in the program.

[(poco) Sforzando]

I am listening to the 5th violin concerto now. Wasn't 4 enough? This guy's music has no sense of direction at all. It just goes from one trite passage to another without any momentum or overall architecture. The poor violinist looks like he's in pain. Dude must really pay well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsdK-PpTIQc

[Florestan]

I am listening to the 5th violin concerto now.

I'm greatly puzzled, Larry. Why do you keep wasting your time on Shor's music? 

Wasn't 4 enough?

That's exactly my question for you.