Financial woes don’t
hold down symphony
An out-of-town conference forced me to miss this weekend's final Masterworks concert of the Honolulu Symphony season, which is disappointing, since I have admired Mischa Dichter since I first heard him 25 years ago.
But the close of the season presents an opportunity for some reflections on the season as a whole.
The big news, of course, was the financial difficulties of the organization. This is certainly not unique, as orchestras around the country have fallen on hard times in recent years. Whether it is changing musical tastes, changing leisure-time patterns, declining state and federal support, or changing economic exigencies is hard to say; clearly, though, we are not alone.
The musicians of the symphony were asked by the management to decide how to meet the financial shortfall while the season was underway.
Presented with a choice of three options -- personnel cuts, a shorter season or pay cuts -- they took the moral high road in choosing the third.
By taking a 20 percent pay cut, they hurt themselves and their families while preserving the integrity of the orchestra and its season for the audience.
The long-term effects of this sacrifice remain to be seen. It should not be a surprise to learn that morale among the players is low. Rumor has it that some are exploring options elsewhere, which may affect the continuity of the ensemble next year. We can only hope that the tenuous situation will not hinder efforts to hire quality players to replace those who leave. The budget remains tight, as demonstrated by the decision to replace the Mahler symphony originally announced for this weekend's concerts with a smaller and less expensive symphony by Prokofiev.
On the artistic side, the season featured some memorable high points. In a star-studded season of guest soloists, three in particular stood out for me. Deborah Voigt's dramatic soprano was jaw-droppingly powerful and expressive. Stanislav Ioudenitch played Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2 with exquisite legato and dazzling technique. Sir James Galway lived up to his reputation as a consummate showman.
The season also featured a generous array of solo opportunities for members of the orchestra. Ignace Jang's artistry, Scott Anderson's virtuosity, Michael Szabo's power, Mark Butin's delicacy and Darel Stark's precision all were showcased in concerto or major solo performances. These were reminders of the strength of the players of the Honolulu Symphony, which boasts solid strings, sensitive brass and unusually fine woodwinds.
The Symphony Chorus performed two major works, Brahms' "German Requiem" and Orff's "Carmina Burana." Under Karen Kennedy's direction, this group has shown remarkable improvement, raising high hopes for next season's performances of Haydn's "Creation" (Oct. 22 and 24) and Handel's "Messiah" (March 25 and 27).
The season's repertoire was an interesting mix of familiar and unfamiliar works. Those who like the warhorses of the repertoire were treated to fine performances of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade," Wagner's Overture to "Tannhäuser," Mendelssohn's "Italian" Symphony, and Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique" Symphony.
On the unfamiliar side was a substantial number of compositions by Russian and Eastern European composers. This appears to be a specialty of the Honolulu Symphony, as next season's schedule also includes an unusually large number of Russian and Slavic composers.
Music of the United States was less evident. There were several compositions by recent American composers, but nothing before World War II. It would be a pleasure to hear some of the fine pieces by Ives, Griffes, Carpenter or other contemporaries of Janacek and Prokofiev. It would be even more of a treat to hear an occasional work by Paine, MacDowell, Chadwick, Beach or the other contemporaries of Liadov and Smetana.
Next season's Veteran's Day concert features a step in the right direction, as we will hear three old favorites by Gershwin and Copland, including "Rhapsody in Blue" played by UH assistant professor of piano Thomas Yee.
Continuing a trend of recent years, the symphony devoted an evening to East-West synthesis, featuring dizi (Chinese flute) virtuoso Tang Jun Qiao. Mark your calendars for March 11 and 13, 2005, when the symphony will team up with Yang Ging, a truly remarkable performer of the pipa (Chinese lute); and for April 1 and 3, 2005, when Stuart Chafetz and Kenny Endo will team up for an East/West Concerto featuring timpani and taiko drums.
Dale Hall's recent book, "The Honolulu Symphony: A Century of Music," chronicles 100 years of artistic and financial ups and downs. The 2003-04 season showed again that the symphony is a valuable part of Honolulu's cultural tapestry.
E. Douglas Bomberger is a professor of music at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Click for online
calendars and events.
