Cleveland's critic removed

Is it possible that Clevelanders are very jittery about the job losses and declining population of the City? And since the Cleveland Orchestra is the glittering crown jewel of Cleveland's cultural life, it must now be regarded as sacrosanct, lest it go the way of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra? (These days, Columbus is more populous than Cleveland, but the Cleveland Metro market still exceeds it.)

Well, no chance of the BSO ever complaining about the Globe's coverage.

hmmm. It could have something to do with Welser-Moest's ridiculous contract extension. Imagine bad reviews for 10 years. It's wrong for this to have happened. The orchestra, the paper, and the city are in kahoots on this one. No one wants bad press. Shame on the conspirators. Rosenberg has been made the classical music critic's version of a eunuch in a town that doesn't have much going for it.
As for the BSO. I continually hope that the press speak out about the manufactured enthusiasm for horrible programming and alienation of a huge segment of concert goers. Eichler's recent piece hinted at stale programming in this his 5th season, but if a similar fate to that of Don Rosenberg is a consequence to telling the truth, I do not expect that to happen any time soon. I'll just take my Carter/Wuorinen/Babbit sulfur-pill and like it.

Well, Richard, I wasn't aware that James Levine had set up a system where people are kidnapped off the street, strapped to seats and forced to listen to Charles Wuorinen's tame music, ala Alex in "A Clockwork Orange", I thought people still had the choice *not to go*, just like I don't go to Haydn symphony/Mozart piano concerto/Brahms symphony-type concerts. Looking at the BSO calendar, there's exactly three pieces of "difficult" music: the world premiere of a new Carter piece, a short Messiaen piece and Boulez' great "Notations". The rest is the same old boring mix of Mozart and Brahms and Mahler and the popular French and Russian stuff. I mean, really, a Mozart symphony cycle?!? You poor tonalists, so oppressed, not catered to at all!

As a professional musician in Cleveland, I have to say that there is *great* discontent amongst the musicians of the Cleveland Orchestra, due to the lack of meaningful artistic communication between the podium and the players at Severance Hall.

The board members and supporters of the Cleveland Orchestra need to ponder why so many of the orchestra's musicians, including principal players, have resigned in the last 2 years. Musicians are deeply frustrated at having to perform concerts that lack any compelling interpretive force.

It was clear to me from FWM's first concert here as Music Director that he would be an excellent Opera conductor, and belongs in the pit. He is a fine and thoughtful musician, but he lacks the ability to communicate his musical emotions to the players in a way that they can understand and participate in. His completely abstract and intellectual rehearsal style is not effective in communicating with this American orchestra. The result is often just notes on the page, nothing more.

The Orchestra supporters and board members who have been pressuring the Plain Dealer to take the scandalous action of removing their nationally respected music critic think they are helping their beloved orchestra. They are mistaken. An orchestra whose finest musicians are leaving, and whose audience at home is dwindling, and whose success lies in invitations to the Music Director's home country, is not on a healthy path.

Don Rosenberg is not only an extraordinarily insightful musician but also a journalist of the highest integrity. Apparently journalistic integrity is no longer allowed at the Plain Dealer.

The President and C.E.O. of the Plain Dealer, Terrance Egger, is a board member of the Cleveland Orchestra. What more needs to be said?