dhbailey wrote:
Remember, this discussion began in the context of Broadway, which is basically a popular medium. Right now one of the biggest hits on Broadway, _Mamma Mia_, is based on the songs of ABBA, and I assume is being played with an orchestra of 20 or 25, an even smaller combo. If you compare that to a symphony pops concert with Bobby Vinton and an orchestra of 75, indeed _Mamma Mia_ may still win, (I've not seen it) but they are not in totally different universes. Let's not get too snobby in our discussion, OK?Aaron Sherber wrote:
At 09:37 PM 01/30/2005, Raymond Horton wrote:
>There is another, major, difference between musicians fighting for their
>jobs, and the ice-deliverers vs. refrigerators comparison. In the
>latter case, the new refrigerator was a SUPERIOR product, and the for
>the ice deliverers to fight progress would have been futile. In the
>case of live musicians vs.synthesis, musicians are fighting an INFERIOR
>product
I agree. I made the point a few posts back that there are (at least) three separate issues here, of which the labor issue is one and the quality issue is another. The iceman example was speaking strictly to the labor issue.
Let's see now, we're talking of "quality" and Bobby Vinton in the same sentence? It seems to me that the question of why Bobby Vinton was on that orchetra's stage (was he doing Schubert lieder or something?) is as germane to this discussion as to why he was allowed to use a synthesizer.
That the orchestra had lowered its standards in order to try to draw a larger audience speaks volumes about how the battle is already lost in many ways. If Bobby Vinton had had to maintain certain vocal standards the way a classical/non-pop singer would have to, in order to perform with the orchestra, would he have been allowed on the stage to begin with, synthesizer or no?
Welcome to the real world. The Louisville Orchestra plays a great many serious concerts, which have been struggling a bit the past four years, like most orchestras, and the programming has been getting more conservative as a result. (Actually, this week we're playing some Corigliano, whom we know better than does any other orchestra anywhere.)
But our pops series, starring mostly aging baby boomer stars (Vinton; Frankie Vally (sp?); 3 Dog Night; Blood, Sweat and Tears; and a Pat and Debby Boone Christmas [!] were some of the guests from the past few of seasons) does extremely well at the box office, so what are you gonna do? Turn down the money that helps us play Corigliano and Brahms this week?
Some of the people on this list need to turn off the damn CD player and get out into the real world more. Do you know we had an election, and did you SEE THE GUY WHO WON?
(Sorry!)
RBH
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