February 24, 2008

It’s this week in classical music , an update on what’s happening in the classical music world, I’m Randy Kinkel.

The Oldest orchestra in Britain has hired its first female conductor.  Although the Manchester-based Halle orchestra has invited female guest conductors to lead the band before, this is the first one to be on a two-year contract with the orchestra. Polish-born 30-year old Ewa Strusinska, who teaches at the Royal Northern College of Music will succeed Rory MacDonald as assistant Conductor in September of this year.  Mark Elder, the Hallé's music director, said Ms Strusinska would be warmly welcomed. "[She] is the fourth young musician to win the Hallé's coveted position of assistant conductor," he said. "Her two-year tenure will offer her every chance of developing further her considerable talent."

Taking a page from places like resorts and hotels, the Philadelphia Orchestra has changed the way it is presenting and packaging its concerts to appeal to various diverse subsets of its audience—offering “collections” According to types of listeners and the experiences they might seek.   For example-- "Masterworks" is code for warhorses. It's Rachmaninoff and Beethoven. The music is prefaced with spoken explanations from the stage.

"Connoisseur" is the traditional night at the orchestra, or, as the new marketing puts it, "preserving the aesthetic of the concert experience." It, too, presents core composers such Beethoven and Brahms, but without commentary.

The "Odyssey" collection is a bit more adventuresome, with live-image projections of the onstage action and postlude recitals after the concerts.

And for partiers, the "Celebration" collection offers Saturday night gatherings with other listeners and musicians, along with live-image projections and spoken introductions.

"I do think what we're doing is groundbreaking," orchestra president James Undercofler said. "We're really recognizing our audience in a meaningful way by putting together collections that are specific to their musical appetites."

The Montreal Symphony Orchestra paid tribute to one of Canadians’ great passions last week: Hockey!  The program, Called “legends of Hockey”, featured an original composition, “Les Glorieux” by Quebec Composer  Francois Dompierre which contains some hockey-rink organ music, a jarring period buzz or two, and spoken word performances by various Hockey stars, along with Strauss’s “ A Hero’s Life” and Satie’s “Sports and Entertainment”.  Conductor Kent Nagano began to immerse himself in the sport a few years ago; he was fascinated by the spectacle of a hockey game. Recalling the experience, He said, “I was impressed by the ferocity of the crowd's emotions. There was such a personal investment and identification with the players. And the mood can change very, very quickly.”  No word on whether any of the players were sent to the penalty box.

For more information on these and other items and events, go to the website KBAQ.ORG.  Be listening every week at this time for another update, and join me each weekday at noon for The Mozart Buffet, an hour of music by Mozart and his contemporaries.  I’m Randy Kinkel for KBAQ’s This week in Classical music, on 89-five KBAQ Phoenix, a service of Rio Salado College and Arizona State University.