Klarinet Archive - Posting 000163.txt from 1999/10

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu>
Subj: [kl] The VPO concert and Ed Lacy's comments
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 09:35:00 -0400

Ed Lacy's comments about the VPO performance last evening are very
thoughtful. Ever since the earliest days of television, producers
and directors have been at a loss in knowing how to present such
entertainment.

A symphony orchestra, from their point of view, consists of 80 or
90 people simply sitting there and not doing anything dramatic. As
such, TV productions of such concerts have to be spiffied up in
order to sell; i.e., it is the "without me to doll it up, this
would really be a boring experience" philosophy.

Often the TV camera is directed to something that the producer
believes is the center of attention but is really peripheral to
what is going on.

The idea of simply placing a camera where the orchestra can be seen
as a whole and leaving it alone, is an anathema to any TV director.
It is simply "too static" for the medium, in their view. Thus,
they must jazz it up to make it into real entertainment. I guess
they presume that it is unreal entertainment.

As for Maazel and his relationship with the orchestra, that is a
much deeper and darker problem. Let me suggest that the best the
VPO can do with respect to Maazel is to tolerate him, and the
reasons behind this attitude are not ones I wish to speak of in a
public forum.

=======================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
leeson@-----.edu
=======================================

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