Charles Dalmas:

>I remember reading something somewhere that said that under Mehta, the New
>York Philharmonic was the Mack Truck of orchestras...it could plow through
>anything.  I find this assessment to be right on the money.

I found it true of the orchestra under Bernstein and Boulez as well.  Some
of the NY Phil recordings reveal embarrassingly bad orchestral playing, and
I don't doubt that the conductors worked like hell to get the players to
come up to that level.

>I've had little respect for the NYP in my life.  I've found it to be
>cumbersome and inflexible.  George Szell summed it up best when he took
>over shortly before his death in 1973.  He said "Give me ten years, and
>I'll make them an orchestra." Truer words were neve spoken.

Well, at least in 1973.  However, about a year ago I attended a fabulous
concert of the NY Phil (I live in New Orleans, so I hear them infrequently
in concert), conducted by Welser-Moest: great precision, a beautiful, warm
tone, like old gold hand-rubbed.  Reminded me of the old Concertgebouw.  I
add that this was a morning concert, minus all the big-name first chairs.
Somebody's done something wonderful with that orchestra.  They played like
angels a varied program.

On the basis of that one concert, things are looking up for the NY Phil.

Steve Schwartz