Stirling S Newberry wrote:

>One has to understand Boston.  Boston is a city of intellectuals.  To be an
>intellectual is to stuyd, in great detail and depth, the good decisions of
>others, and decide that, if given a chance to make the same good decision,
>you could do it better. [ETC}

I admire Stirling's analysis and his prescience.  For the most part, I
think he's got this thing figured.  I have only two comments.

>Another candidate was Simon Rattle, and you can see how much agonising
>decision making time he spent worrying about whether Boston would have him.

I think Rattle at one time was very interested in Boston but simply got
tired of waiting for Ozawa to leave and moved on.

Tom Connor noted the interesting coincidence of Ozawa's leaving the day
Rattle took Berlin.  This led me to wonder, not about that particular
event, but about what did not happen.

The question is, did Ozawa know two years ago that he was he was leaving or
interested in leaving? If not--and he certainly may not have--no problem.
Stop reading.  But if he did know or was strongly considering leaving,
one wonders where Ozawa's concern for his orchestra should lie.  Assuming
Rattle was interested in Boston two years ago, assuming further that Ozawa
knew Rattle was interested and that Ozawa thought Rattle would be good or
even the best candidate for the orchestra, and assuming that Ozawa knew he
was going to go *somewhere* in the next two-four years, was it or was it
not incumbent upon him to clear the way for his successor then? Make some
sort of announcement.  Set things up.

Just a silly mental exercise.

>The final candidate will seem surprising.  He will not be the best
>conductor available, he will not be the most adventurous or most anything
>else.

Very insightful.

>My guess - Essa Pekka Salonen, or someone very much like him.

I disagree as far as Salonen goes.  And I have no idea why and no better
guess.

Roger Hecht