Arts critic Lawrence A. Johnson of the Miami Herald makes his opinions loud and clear. On the one hand, this is the duty of a critic - to call it as s/he sees it.
On the other hand the opposing opinions of other press critics and representatives from the musician's union, as well as comments made by the general public make one wonder - to what purpose is Mr. Johnson's campaign against the Florida Grand Opera's orchestra?
A Sun-Sentinel review of Florida Grand Opera's January production of the Bizet's "Pearl Fishers" appears to contradict assertions made by Mr. Johnson that the orchestra "has come in for harsh criticism this season."
An excerpt from Lawrence Budman's personal web site states:
"Long a champion of French opera, Stewart Robertson conducted with unflagging momentum and masterfully delineated Bizet’ s elegantly colored wind and string writing. The Florida Classical Orchestra played with clarity and refinement and Katherine Kozak’s chorus was often thrilling. Bizet’s gentle Gallic felicities were beguilingly painted in sight and sound."
Mr. Budman's review - published in Miami's Sun-Sentinel on January 26th - makes no mention of "harsh criticism" or a "substandard" orchestra. On the contrary, this excerpt is a fairly positive commentary on the Florida Classical Orchestra and its abilities.
In a review of the very same production, Mr. Johnson harshly notes that Maestro Robinson's "plodding direction seemed to be taking place in a parallel universe oblivious to the singers on stage, and his listless conducting continues to exert an enervating effect on the company's performances."
Did these critics see the same show?
In an scathing review of FGO's "Cosi fan tutti" last November, Mr. Johnson puts the blame squarely on music director Stewart Robertson for a "fatally handicapped" production calling Mr. Robertson's leadership "uninspired" and "tepid." In the same review, he bluntly attacks the principal horn with sarcastic gusto.
Reader comments in response to Mr. Johnson's review make for interesting reading. (Other reader comments related to Mr. Johnson's reviews may be found here.)
In a January 18th article announcing a new orchestra (the Florida Symphony), Mr. Johnson attempts to draw a direct connection between it and the Florida Grand Opera (FGO). He strongly implies that the Florida Orchestra may replace the current orchestra (which has recently organized itself for union representation).
Representatives from the FGO make no comments to confirm or deny Mr. Johnson's claims. ''We don't have any comment to make about our orchestra arrangements at this time,'' said Justin Moss, managing director for marketing and communication. This does not seem to phase Mr. Johnson however in making assertions and implications to the contrary.
Again, the readership comments in response to this article are worth investigating.
New York Times critic Vivien Schweitzer in a review of the 2007 premiere production of David Carlson’s “Anna Karenina” in the spiffy Ziff Ballet Opera House mentions a "well-crafted lyrical score, ably conducted by the Florida Grand Opera’s music director, Stewart Robertson." There is no mention of poor conducting or poor horn playing.
Mr. Johnson has labeled the quality of the orchestra "substandard" and trumpets that it has come under "harsh criticism." He also has called for the end of Stewart Robinson's tenure as music director.
Yet, he appears to be alone in these observations and this beckons the question - what on earth is going on at the Miami Herald?
0 comments:
Post a Comment