Dave Lampson wrote:

>I have not been following any of the controversy surrounding this
>announcement, but I thought this open letter from the Philadelphia
>Orchestra Association might be of interest to list members.

Thanks for sharing...

Having sat on the board for more than one arts organization...well, it
usually takes some historian to get to the truth.

> Fact:
> First and foremost, we are very proud of the work Christoph
> Eschenbach has done with The Philadelphia Orchestra and his
> tenure has been and will be celebrated as part of the legacy of
> The Philadelphia Orchestra. His decision to conclude his tenure
> as Music Director at the end of our 2007-2008 season is a personal
> one.  Although we offered him an opportunity to continue as our
> Music Director, he feels he has achieved his goals with us here
> in Philadelphia and has many other opportunities to consider.

Ok, the cynic in me asks...did he offer to say so to the press,
or is he being asked to have that posture as part of the deal...

> Fact:
> Maestro Eschenbach has always been treated with respect by the
> board, management and musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra.
> It is simply irresponsible for anyone to disregard this fact,
> make assumptions about his motivations, or manufacture possible
> reasons for his departure.

Give me a break...I have rarely encountered any arts organization where
there was not some tension between an artistic director and management.

> weeks as a guest in 2008 -2009. We look forward to the important
> concerts and recordings we have scheduled with him during that
> time.

And we want you to keep coming to concerts...

As far as the rest of the comments are concerned they sound like fluff
to me.  While I have no idea of what the orchestra sounds like, or what
the situation might be...  but I can't recall many situations where a
breakup of conductor and orchestra wasn't presented in a positive light
at the time, especially by management.

It was interesting to me to read a Reiner biography...was he ever tossed
around from one orchestra to the next...  The machinations of all parties
involved can be amazing...and, at least from my reading, these decisions
are rarely based on any evaluation of the musicianship of the conductor.

To say that the musicians have an equal voice these days seems a bit odd
to me when I recall the problems Marin Alsop faced when she was invited
to take over in Baltimore.

I guess I will have to wait a few years to get the real story...

Karl