“(A) Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.” – Gerturde Stein, 1913
As awkward as the first Boston Symphony concert at Tanglewood felt, things got ratcheted up last week as outgoing BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons arrived on campus for the annual Tanglewood Music Center’s opening exercises. According to an anonymous “correspondent” who shared their observations on the dishy classical music tabloid Slipped Disc, Seiji Ozawa Hall was filled with BSO musicians and TMC Fellows wearing not only the now-ubiquitous red roses, but T-shirts trumpeting their stubborn support for Nelsons.
Speaker after speaker delivered sanguine, if subtly cutting remarks aimed at BSO board chair Barbara Hostetter and CEO Chad Smith, both of whom were seated in the audience alongside donors, staff and at least one Massachusetts State Police officer. In his opening remarks, Tanglewood Music Center director Ed Gazouleas pointedly observed, “We live in troubled times…and trouble may even have come to these beautiful hills and green, green grass.”
BSO Principal flutist Lorna McGhee, one of the most outspoken players protesting Nelsons’ dismissal, warned the fellows:
“Never let people treat you like cogs in a wheel, or factory workers. Sometimes the incredible sensitivity that this work requires goes unrecognized and undervalued….Never apologize or be ashamed of excellence, because excellence is not ‘elitist.’”
Smith then briefly addressed the gathering, encouraging the fellows to “let your music mean something beyond the practice room, for the people around you, for the field you’re entering, and for the communities we hope will fall in love with your craft.” Smith exited the stage to “applause that was scattered, at best.”
Finally, it was Nelsons’ turn. After a long ovation “complete with abundant cheers, whistles, and Bravos,” Nelsons spoke directly to the fellows:
“There is a future for classical music, and classical music is not in danger, because we have you, the younger generations. You are the heart of Tanglewood. I wish you all the best and look forward to many more summers.”
Wait, what?
For the record, Nelsons’ contract ends following next year’s Tanglewood season, after which there are no plans to have him back in Boston, Tanglewood, or anywhere else the BSO plays. In a recent interview with Boston’s WGBH (see above), Smith said that while it was the BSO’s original wish to maintain some kind of ongoing relationship with Nelsons, that’s “not where it landed.”
So, what’s Nelsons angling at here? (Assuming I’m not misconstruing his sometimes-faulty English.)
Deborah Borda, former CEO of both the NY Phil and LA Phil – where she was Smith’s boss for nearly two decades – has expressed surprise at the goings on in Boston, telling the NY Times that music director departures are usually managed “in an outwardly amicable way.” (Given her relationship with Chad, I wouldn’t be surprised if Borda was somehow involved behind the scenes in Boston in her new capacity as an arts consultant and manager.)
“The ongoing intensity of the upheaval is unlike anything I have witnessed over many years,” Borda added. “It isn’t serving anybody.”
After months of hoping he could manage the situation internally, Smith has now shifted to full damage-control mode. Speaking to the Times, Smith revealed that it was originally his intention to release a joint statement with Nelsons regarding his departure – much as Borda and the NY Phil did with former music director Jaap van Zweden in 2021 – “but that wasn’t agreed to.”
Such terse statements would seem to indicate that Nelsons has taken the scorched earth approach to his dismissal, burning his bridges on the way out. Whether or not you agree with the decision to dismiss Nelsons, that kind of insubordination is almost unheard of in the (outwardly) mannered classical music/orchestral world, which is probably why it caught the BSO so flat-footed.
Regardless of all the earnest pleas from pundits, patrons, and sunshine activists with a bit too much time on their hands, these Andris “standees” may want to consider the possibility that Nelsons is cannily using them to his advantage. Despite the fact that Nelsons serves at the pleasure of the board – which pays him a whopping $1.7 million for 14 weeks of work, according to the BSO’s most recent financial disclosure – he must somehow believe that these grass roots protests will stir up so much discord that the BSO will have no choice but to reinstate him, despite Smith’s insistence that reinstatement is “off the table.” Such hijinks are precisely why most employees in the corporate world surrender their computers and are escorted off the premises the moment they’re let go.
The thing is, Nelsons, who is bound by an NDA and not at liberty to speak publicly about his situation, could end this unseemly circus tomorrow. He could say, in his own words:
“Thank you to everyone for all of your support. It’s been a great run, but all good things come to an end, and it’s time to move on. I have no hard feelings. Let’s make great music together for the next year, and go out on a high note.”
After all, Nelsons has spent 12 seasons in Boston, has a whole other orchestra he still leads, and regularly guest conducts some of the greatest ensembles in the world. Andris will be just fine. Given how greatly he’s benefitted from his time in Boston, the least he can do is have the good grace to go quietly. Or at least good-humoredly.
As for the musicians, in some ways they have every right to be upset: Andris is a very good conductor who built a strong, even mesmerizing relationship with his players. He will not be easily replaced. And the way in which his dismissal was communicated was clumsy, at best.
But, what’s done is done, and for better or worse, Nelsons was never going to be the conductor of the BSO’s future. That said, I’m sure the musicians will now funnel their fury into negotiations over their contract, which is set to expire at the end of the summer. Beyond haggling over the usual stuff – salary, benefits, pension plans – they are hoping for more say in the selection of the next music director. At the moment musicians make up 5 of the 11 slots on the search committee: significant, but still a minority.
According to an internal BSO memo shared with the Boston Globe in April, the committee has been asked to consider candidates with a “compelling artistic vision, superlative musicality and podium skills, and outstanding rapport with our players. They will also make the Boston Symphony the principal – although not necessarily the exclusive – focus of his or her artistic endeavors (looking at you, Andris), and must be willing and eager to work collaboratively and constructively with all of our key constituencies.” It mentions nothing about their willingness to participate in “affinity programming” or any other efforts aimed at bringing in a wider audience.
Just who might such a music director be? Will the BSO go after a seasoned pro, or take a chance on a rising star who resembles the younger, more diverse audience leadership craves? (It’s easy to forget that Andris himself was only 34 when he was hired.) Time will tell, but given Chad’s track record in LA and his relationships across the classical, pop and global music worlds, I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, for now. Stay tuned.
P.S. The Boston Globe’s A.Z. Madonna attended last weekend’s Tanglewood concerts with the BSO, where most of the musicians continued their red rose protest. “But,” she continued, “and here’s the beautiful and terrible thing about all this – to hear this weekend’s three concerts, you’d never know about the volcano of intrigue rumbling backstage. Under the baton of Nelsons on Friday and Saturday and the bare hands of Fabio Luisi on Sunday, the orchestra delivered the music it plays best, at its best.”
Archived streams of WCRB’s live broadcasts below:
- Friday’s All-Tchaikovsky program with “Swan Lake” and Piano Concerto No.1 with Seong-Jin Cho
- Saturday’s Mahler 4 and Mozart Piano Concerto No. 25 with Manny Ax
- Sunday’s Brahms 2 and Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 with Eric Lu
P.P.S. As reported byThe Berkshire Eagle on 7/14, there was a meeting on Saturday at Tanglewood between the BSO musicians and leadership – including Smith and Hostetter – during which conflicting accounts were shared of the circumstances surrounding Nelsons’ dismissal. According to a letter submitted by Andris’ manager Karen McDonald, Andris’ dismissal came without warning and with no discussion of a possible exit plan. Instead, both Nelsons and the Board had already “agreed in principle” to the terms of his contract renewal, and were in the process of finalizing the paperwork when the Board suddenly “terminated” him.
Furthermore, McDonald says that Nelsons was “not involved in any approval process relating to the BSO’s Strategic Plan”, and that leadership “have not to date explained in what way they felt he was not aligned with the organization’s strategic vision.” (Full text of the letter here.)
McDonald’s assertions directly contradict those made by Smith in the NY Times in March and again last month that the decision to dismiss Nelsons was made only after months of failed negotiations, including the possibility of an emeritus or ongoing guest role with the orchestra.
Yesterday (7/14), Hostetter released her own letter, thanking the musicians for their thoughtfulness and candor while admonishing a select few for their “personal attacks and rhetoric directed towards leadership that fell well short of the standard of civility this institution deserves.” (Yikes!) Hostetter also disputed several assertions made during the meeting, providing documentation supporting the Board’s account of what transpired.
Hostetter concluded her letter by expressing the Board’s wish for continued and improved dialogue with the musicians. “We may disagree about how we arrived at this moment or the best path forward,” Hostetter writes, ‘but we believe we share the same ultimate goal: ensuring that this remarkable institution continues to thrive for generations to come.”
Several musicians interviewed by the Eagle expressed deep frustration following the meeting, calling it “disheartening” and “deeply troubling” while doing little to rebuild trust between the orchestra and leadership. Clearly, the mess is far from cleaned up.
Does any of this change my opinion regarding who’s to blame here, or how all interested parties should move forward? Not really. As Chad told the Eagle back in May:
“The decision that we made rolled out in a really clunky way. But the decision not to renew Andris’s contract was sound. And for me, it comes back to, are we going to serve more expansively and inclusively, or are we going to narrowly define ourselves?”
P.P.P.S. On Thursday (7/16), Boston Magazine published the most detailed account to date of the Nelsons saga. Author Tom McGrath draws on dozens of interviews with BSO staff and musicians, many of whom asked to have their names withheld for fear of reprisal.
A few bits:
- After the board voted – unanimously – not to renew Andris’ contract in February, Smith says he immediately hopped on a plane to London to meet with Nelsons’ management face-to-face. In an attempt to “forge an amicable breakup,” Chad says that he and the board offered Nelsons, “residencies in the 2027–28 and 2028–29 seasons, as well as an honorific title, continued touring, and special projects.” Such details seem to belie McDonald’s assertion that, “there were no discussions with Andris or us about an exit at any point.”
- According to McGrath, “plenty of people who’ve worked for Smith will tell you they can’t stand him, calling him full of himself, aloof, autocratic.” One former BSO employee praised Smith’s intellect while describing his management style as based on “wrath and intimidation,” known for belittling staffers in the presence of their peers. In particular, Lynn Larsen, head of orchestras and production, and Tony Fogg, the VP of artistic planning, “would really take it on the chin” in meetings. Larsen is no longer with the BSO, and Tony will “retire” following this summer’s Tanglewood season.
- Smith counters: “I was hired to make change. And when you make change, you have to make change at the top. I’ve had to move out or replace something like half the leadership team, and that’s hard. We had to begin applying real metrics and accountability, and that has been difficult for certain people to accept.”
- Smith’s short-lived predecessor, Gail Samuel, repeatedly clashed with Nelsons over the same diversity initiatives now being pushed by Smith. (Smith and Samuel worked together at the LA Phil for nearly two decades.) Samuel told one colleague they “wouldn’t believe” the things that Nelsons had said to her. “Andris treated Gail very badly,” said another. Samuel appealed to the board, but the board ultimately backed Andris and she resigned after only 18 months on the job.
- Despite Smith’s extensive background in artistic planning at the LA Phil, Nelsons made it clear he “didn’t believe the CEO should be involved in artistic decisions.” Subsequently, artistic meetings took place without Smith, leading to a “deeply strained personal relationship” between Chad and Andris.
- According to a story published on 7/16 by The Globe’s Malcolm Gay, it’s been two years since Nelsons has had a meaningful conversation with Smith. “I don’t have animus for Andris,” Smith told The Globe. “What I do have is a lack of a collaborative working relationship.”
- Musicians have variously described the BSO’s new strategic plan as “vague,” “corporate-speak,” and “word salad.” Moreover, they feel that their collective input was disregarded, or mere “box checking.” According to BSO piccolo player Cynthia Meyers, “It became very clear that we were in a top-down situation; this was no longer a collaborative thing (between musicians and leadership).” McGrath concludes that the musicians “are not opposed to change,” provided they are “full partners in shaping it.”
- In a statement, Hostetter – who declined McGrath’s requests for an interview – doubled down on her quest to open up the BSO to more diverse audiences. “Excellence, relevance, and inclusivity are not competing ideas,” wrote Hostetter. “Engaging and welcoming new audiences does not diminish excellence; it secures the institution’s future.”
- Hostetter did agree to an interview with The Globe, telling Gay: “We are deeply committed to the orchestra in terms of what it does best, and that is the Western canon. There’s no intention to do anything but support that. (However), we know it’s a declining audience . . . and there are so many ways you can be innovative.”
