#MinnegeddonPartDeux…just how does a band that locked-out Mozart make a ‘comeback’? :-0 (M4B)*

Monostatos’ Orchestra seems to be attempting to go through a sort of rebirth.  After the contentious and bitter lockout, which may well, in fact, have been in response to their, in effect, locking Mozart out some time ago, in terms of the great gift that I call die zauberflote, they seem to want to put the dismal recent past events behind by making a foray into new performing territory (not a bad idea) and conducting a media blitz intended to showcase them as ‘new’.  Frankly, virtually nothing about this organization is ‘new’.  In fact, what we may well be seeing is more of the ‘same-old, same-old’.  Not that the ‘same-old’ is ‘bad’, just that it is predictably the same — a veneer of ‘grace’ and ‘loveliness’ masking the fact that its ‘voice’ (if you can even call it that) is empty and dead…

Why, you might ask, am I not tempted into mushy sentimentality about the supposed newness of the recent ‘historic’ runout or accompanying schmoozy current ad strategy?  Frankly, any group who can put up with the character I call “Monostatos” is not deserving of being taken seriously.  It has, in fact, settled its fate in my mind once and for all.  Ironically, it appears that one of the previous administrators of this group attempted to oust this person, but in a turn of irony, they were the one to go.  So I hold to no illusions about this situation. (I am, in fact, speaking from personal experience.  I learned the hard way, and am not about to be fooled again.)

So, what is actually going on here?  This is my impression.  If this group was, in fact, put under judgment by the Lrd for their treatment, not only of an extraordinary gift of music, but of a gift of the Holy Spirit, they had the opportunity to, for example, come to repentance over the initial lockout during their own prolonged 18-month lockout and make appropriate apologies and amends.  They were aware of the facts involving the initial lockout.  But they chose to ignore that information and, in effect, ‘rebuild’.  Not even simply rebuild, but attempt to claim they have re-invented themselves.  I doubt that will work.  I sincerely hope that believers will look very critically at having any involvement with this group, especially anything involving their children (yes, they manage to insinuate themselves in many schools).  I consider the effect of their music unhealthy.

If I am correct, this glossy sheen of new-found respectability will in time wear thin and the public will once again have no choice but to deal with the grisly reality at the core of this group.  As long as Monostatos is being protected there, this is an organization that can only be called Anti-Mozart.  And, as we are, artistically speaking, currently in the middle of what I call “Minnegeddon” (this being ‘PartDeux’ as post-MO lockout) — that is the time when all Anti-Mozart is revealed.  And so it will be.  I could be wrong.  But I don’t think so…

*Mozart for Believers…

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#MinnegeddonPartDeux – Now what? (or, the fallout continues)

While OV begins negotiations to return in some capacity to the MO, eight board members of MOA have resigned as a result of the dismissal of Mr. Henson.  While all of this seems quite to be expected, as the chips fall from the prolonged lockout of eighteen months, we are given yet another fascinating glimpse into the innards of this organization.  

Are there underlying reasons for these events?  Are there other shoes to fall, so to speak? Will the ‘rebellion’ staged by the players in refusing to crawl back to MOA after being locked-out and the encouragement of their leader who stood up to MOA on their behalf continue to the point of trying to, in effect, clean house at MOA and, in effect, perhaps even try to take control of the endowment? Or, if they do not get their way, might they even try to form another organization and attempt to have the endowment transferred to them? 

Ironically, it may well have been the legacy of those who are leaving or who have already resigned to have managed, in their own at-times bumbling way, to keep MO from going belly-up during a time of great crisis and transition.  

Certainly, this is an interesting time…

#Minnegeddon — Minnesota players or SOSMN begging for help opening the hall?

DA said, “Pamela, you seem to be implying that my statement above about SOSMN’s relationship with the Musicians is incorrect.”

If that is the case, you have missed the point I was attempting to make. My point is simply that distancing oneself from something where one wants to have some ‘plausible deniability’ seems a tad political. It makes one wonder if perhaps the public is supposed to perceive these actions as a ‘spontaneous uprising’, when in fact there may be a lot going on behind the scenes.

http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2014/01/minnesota-musicians-beg-city-to-take-over-the-empty-hall.html#comment-185760

#Minnegeddon — the underlying issue?

It seems everyone is dipping and diving, ducking and scurrying in the New Year to try to bring about some resolution to the ongoing angst at Orchestra Hall, certainly per this article: http://tcbmag.com/News/Recent-News/2014/January/Debate-Over-Orchestra-Hall-Lease-Continues

But is there an underlying issue that needs to be addressed before all this can happen?  Historically-speaking, it is my thinking that the name change from the Minneapolis Symphony to the Minnesota Orchestra should have raised a huge flag to anyone who has even the most rudimentary understanding of what the real Wolfgang Mozart was all about.  And that would certainly include SS, the conductor-laureate, who professes to “love Mozart” and oversaw this change. Even he acknowledged that it was not well-received by the players.  Did it not occur to anyone that there was a curious similarity between “Minnesota” and the wicked servant “Monostatos” in Mozart’s last major opera, The Magic Flute?  Hard to imagine that these professionals would miss that one.  Perhaps they were keeping their noses too close to the music on their stands to think clearly.  

Next, a female flute player appears on the scene, led by a handful of players, to practice on that stage.  Week-in and week-out, her playing soars throughout the building, as the stage is miked to be heard everywhere.  “Mozart!” “Mozart!” “Mozart” cries one of them, running around behind her as though looking for him to appear.  “The real magic flute,” hisses another, through clenched jaws, while also gritting their teeth. Did they then provide her with a proper introduction to their world of music?  No.  Instead, they decided to target not only her but her three small children.  They, in effect, “locked her out”.  

And so, some time later, the entire mechanism of this organization, with an endowment of nearly $200M has ground to a halt.  Will it snap back to life without a resolution of this issue?  If this information is true, must we not then ask just what happens to a band that tries to lock out Mozart?

Oh, wait.  Isn’t that exactly what did happen to Mozart in Vienna?  He believed the exquisite beauty and extraordinary composition of his music would provide him with a handsome and reliable income there.  But, was that the case?  No, his colleagues turned on him, and did their best to lock him out of commissions.  They also refused to acknowledge that there was something about his music that made it so different from their own that there was simply no basis for comparison — just as one cannot compare a perfect interval to a major or minor one.  And so, it is not unlikely that he was murdered because of this extra gift.  

So, in this case, everyone involved has, by now, received all the information they need to understand, if they choose, this issue.  Can this situation be resolved without first addressing it?  Will those involved continue to stonewall, or will they instead dare to address it?

 

 

 

#Minnegeddon and Die Zauberflote…a bit puzzling…

With the ongoing angst of the MO lockout still not yet resolved, it seems just a bit curious that those professionals who have experienced what they have called ‘the real magic flute’ personally continue to stay mum about the possibility that there is a connection between it and the lockout.  Has anyone even bothered to wonder if this difficult situation is not just an act of fate, but perhaps a consequence of events that happened some time ago, some of them even on the stage at Orchestra Hall?  Just a thought…

Slipped Disc reply…what is this year’s top story? #Minnegeddon, of course…

It seems to me that the “Minnegeddon” in Minnesota may have the greatest long-term impact of any story of this year, especially taking into consideration the fact that Mr. Vanska felt he had no choice but to walk away from the MO after having had such a meaningful effect on its stature.

http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2013/12/the-years-top-stories-on-slipped-disc.html#comments

 

#Minnegeddon — Is there another reason why the MO has ground to a halt? s d reply to “Amy”

My reply was intended to help anyone who is interested think outside of the box.

And btw, P2A is finished, except for the epilogue, which happens to be entitled “Revenge of the Mozarts”. 

http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2013/10/minnesota-clocks-up-another-loss-this-time-its-global.html?replytocom=177660#respond

#Minnegeddon — the enigma…

For anyone sincerely interested in grabbing a clue to the rest of what may be happening with the MO/MOA situation, let me offer you two:

Mozart’s last major opera….

Mahler’s last words…

 

#Minnegeddon — the fallout continues…and expands…

I have been talking about what I call “Minnegeddon” since I was a flute performance major at the U of M.  I have been tweeting and posting about it from the time I wrote that episide of “Piper to the Alternative” in 2012, before the MO lockout.  But my statements have, for the most part, been ignored.  I’m just apparently not the kind of person one takes seriously.  I take responsible for having a sarcastic air and a goofy Pythonesque sense of humor, using emoticons, and making outrageous statements.  These aspects of my character probably tend not to persuade others of my brilliance or sagacity, not to mention, prophetic abilities.  

Oh yes, there is one more thing — I have yet to be given a proper introduction by one who does have ‘credibility’ in the area of performance of classical music.  This one, a “Monostatos”, if you will, could, with just a few words, provide definition to the other issue that has been a part of the events in Minnesota over the last year.  

So now, there seems to be a stalemate in the MO situation that is mollified only by the tenacity of Rep. Kahn, who is proposing that the entire structure of the MO be changed and made accountable to the State of Minnesota, not to its own board. One can hardly imagine what the current board members are saying about this…

In addition, we seem to have a US govt shutdown.  If there were to be a default, it would occur, ironically, on Oct. 17th.  Four years ago, my Mother passed away on that date.  An odd coincidence.  

How long will it take for people to start thinking outside of the box?  How many will actually go to a score of Mozart’s last major opera and check out the character with a name that sounds like “Minnesota”?  In 1791, of course, before Mozart’s untimely death, there was no “Minnesota”.  

 

 

 

A challenge of defining MOA’s position on this, unfortunately, historic morning…s d reply

Well, let’s try…(this is observation, not my opinion)

When Mr. Vanska was hired in 2003 it was to take the MO to the next level as a top US orchestra with international status. At about that time the MOA also began borrowing money to make this vision happen. Although the MO received some stellar reviews, and played like champs, this was not enough to hold the attention of donors with money, so there were ongoing losses that threatened to drain the endowment.

With the rebuilding of the Hall, the MOA realized that this might be their one chance to put the MO back into a fiscally sound position. They probably hoped that the status and recognition already earned by the MO under Mr. Vanska would hold while they trimmed and streamlined everything to make a financially viable model for the long-term future. Having discovered how expensive having a world-class orchestra can be, they decided to err on the side of caution. They hoped everyone would support their new paradigm.

The players, however, believed their own press more than the MOA, and now, since they were ‘elite’, chose to hold their ground. They then did something, however, that was reminiscent of Diana’s attacks on the monarchy — they demanded full financial disclosure and moved toward demonizing the board, perhaps in hopes that the public would help them. This backfired, however, and MOA only fought back with additional ferocity. When would the players acknowledge the financial crisis the MO is in? When will they live in the real world?

http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2013/10/breaking-osmo-vanska-says-i-quit.html