THE
STATE OF THE CBSO
Christopher
Morley
The name of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra glows
all over the world as a beacon of excellence, with huge fan bases in every
country appreciating classical music. Music-lovers in Japan were overjoyed when
a talk I gave there seven years ago about the orchestra’s history, scheduled to
last 15 minutes, ran to 45. Its recordings under conductors such as Louis
Fremaux Simon Rattle, Sakari Oramo, Edward Gardner, Andris Nelsons and Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla are quite
rightly ranked very highly. It now has an exciting new music director in the
popular Kazuki Yamada. Everything in the garden should be lovely.
But it isn’t. Last November the recently-appointed Chief
Executive Officer Emma Stenning, replacing Stephen Maddock, who after a
brilliant near quarter-century at the CBSO was moving on to do great things as
Principal of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, published a Vision for the
Orchestra. Calculated to attract new audiences to CBSO concerts, it invited
people to bring drinks into the auditorium, to feel free to take photographs on
their mobile phones at any time, clap whenever they felt like it, promised a
more welcoming experience from front of house staff, an introduction from the
stage by a performer or member of the management team, and, most striking of
all, lighting effects and backstage projections illuminating the music being
performed.
My response, as someone who has loved the CBSO since 1966
when I came to Birmingham as a music undergraduate, and who has been reviewing
the orchestra ever since I graduated in 1969 (and since 1988 as chief music
critic of the Birmingham Post, a cherished position from which I have only
recently retired), was immediate. The Post published my rebuttal of these
dangerous ideas, “If it ain’t woke don’t fix it” as a front-page lead. A few
days later Ms Stenning’s vision came to fruition in a concert in which heroism
was the theme: Richard Strauss’ Don Quixote (in which violist Chris Yates and
cellist Eduardo Vassallo were the genuinely heroic soloists in view of all the
shenanigans surrounding this performance), and the greatest of all symphonies,
Beethoven’s Eroica, during which images of various personalities whom the
orchestra’s players had been urged to nominate as their heroes, were
back-projected, distracting the audience from their absorption in the music. I
am only grateful that Ms Stenning did not misread the symphony’s title as the
Erotica, as the Guardian once did…
The response from seasoned concertgoers was immediate, angry
at the intrusion into their concert experience, and particularly incensed that
such an approach was foisted upon them after they had booked their tickets,
expecting a concert “straight” in its presentation.
Strong letters fell onto Ms Stenning’s desk, some from
sponsors who were now considering withdrawing any future support. The “Vision”
was also intimating that this Son et Lumiere approach would be gracing all
future concerts. There was soon a backtracking from the management, declaring
that these innovations were to be used in only two subsequent concerts during
the rest of the season.
I was at one of those, the CBSO Youth Orchestra of all
things, when the exposed solo trumpeter at the nerve-racking beginning of
Mahler’s Fifth Symphony was required to stand in a spotlight whilst delivering
the opening fanfare, and the concertmaster was somehow asked to stand while the
rest of her colleagues sat during the violins’ first entry. The youngsters got
through their ordeal, and all the subsequent ones during this vast work, with
aplomb, but the pressure put on them was cruel. It might work for jazz bands,
but it fell flat here.
Around this time Emma Stenning presided over an emergency
meeting of CBSO subscribers at a pre-concert gathering at the CBSO Centre at
the bottom of Berkley Street. Their concerns were volubly expressed, but apparently
placated by the CEO and Lord Tony Hall, Chair of the Board of Trustees, who had
been appointed to that position, leaving the BBC, last November, immediately
prior to the Vision announcement.
Mention of the Vision rouses feelings that seasoned
concertgoers should have felt something brewing even from the start of the
current season, with the stark rebranding of each concert’s programme-book
cover as “CBSO Remastered”, with perhaps a subliminal message of new brooms
sweeping clean. The prospectus for the forthcoming 2024-25 season is equally
unsettling. For the first time in decades the editorial blurb has not been
written by an accredited writer on music, and speaks about toe-tapping to
joyous works such as Bruckner Nine and Mahler Nine (music-lovers will
understand that anomaly). Ms Stenning has even gone into print advertising Dvorak’s
New World Symphony featuring the music for the Hovis advert, and other such
connections which I used to use during my years as a schoolteacher.
There seemed to be conflicting messages as to what the CBSO
management were dangling in front of potential audiences with their slurp and
snap enticements, whilst at the same time reassuring concerned existing
audiences that photography was “suggested” only during applause breaks. The
excrement really hit the fan during a performance of Benjamin Britten’s
song-cycle Les Illuminations, when the internationally-renowned tenor Ian
Bostridge halted proceedings because flashes from mobile phones were disturbing
his concentration.
This event was reported nationwide, even on Radio 4’s Today
programme, and Bostridge revealed that he had not been informed of this phone-use
policy in advance. Ms Stenning’s subsequent excuse was that the perpetrators
were only perusing their programme-notes (such a lighting intrusion is bad
enough in itself). The possibility of filming also raised copyright issues,
indeed the case of the Britten, and also risked contravening the Child Protection
Act when the CBSO Youth Chorus was performing,
Matters have continued to lurch along, with the occasional
appearance of conflicting messages about slurp and snap. It should be pointed
out that this policy was at odds with the declared policy of Town Hall Symphony
Hall as displayed when the Vision was first announced. It should also be
pointed out that I know of CBSO subscribers who are abandoning their devotion
to the orchestra, and going instead to the Halle in Manchester’s Bridgewater
Hall, where notices firmly forbid any photography and the taking of drinks into
the auditorium. Would you want someone slopping their beer over you as they
fumble their way back to their seat in the middle of the row?
Another furore developed when one of the CBSO’s most loyal
attendees, well-known to concert audiences throughout Birmingham, complained
about the distractions of a photographer snapping away behind his seat.
Eventually the CBSO management saw fit to issue a directive that people who
continued to complain might be barred from attending concerts, or indeed any
involvement with the orchestra. As recently revealed, the Arts Council of
England has such a policy of threatening disgruntled clients.
Experienced concertgoers are indeed cancelling their
subscriptions, and it would be interesting to know if these new policies are
succeeding in attracting a younger audience. After more than 30 years reviewing
concerts in Symphony Hall I know that the average age profile of the audience
has remained the same, newer patrons replacing those who have passed away. As
families grow and leave the nest, as mortgages get paid off, as more time
becomes available after retirement, that is when people start to think about
going to concerts. The blandishments of the new Vision’s razzmatazz mean
nothing to them – and nor, I would suggest, does it mean anything to those
younger ones who have more pressing concerns in their lives.
Far more likely to attract new audiences into the concert
hall is the CBSO’s programme of outreach activities planned for August, when
for a week the orchestra and its charismatic conductor Kazuki Yamada give free
concerts at locations across the conurbation, including the Hawthorns, Bullring
and Grand Central, and New Street Station
There is a disturbing subtext to the entire situation, and
that is the implication that the performances in the auditorium aren’t enough
to attract audiences. A recent conference of museum curators billed Emma
Stenning as guest speaker, “Leader of one of the world’s greatest orchestras”.
Her topic, with “CBSO” on the cover of the blurb, was “Restoring Relevance”,
with all such implications concerning the orchestra.
What does this do to the morale of the players? Some
anonymous contributions to Slipped Disc from within the ranks suggest that the
players are disheartened and fearful, and that they feel the management should
be thinking more about recouping financial shortfalls due to Birmingham City
Council’s bankruptcy, and not wasting money on all the theatrical and lighting
gimmicks.
And there’s the nub. Emma Stenning comes from a successful
theatrical background (she served as an advisor on theatre to the much-maligned
Arts Council of England for some time), but had no musical experience whatsoever.
Questions are being asked as to who appointed her as Chief Executive officer of
one of the world’s greatest orchestras, and why are they not querying her
continuation in the role?
Subscribers are angry and voting with the refusal to renew
their subscriptions. I detect an atmosphere of fear and resentment amongst the
players, who continue to do their best to maintain the standing of this great
orchestra which has been built up so strongly over the half-century since Louis
Fremaux. I am sure the Musicians’ Union will do everything to support them in
their concerns, and am remembering how strong the MU representation used to be
under violinist Paul Smith and clarinettist Martyn Davies. Perhaps it still is,
but gives the impression of being muted.
I cannot imagine this regrettable situation ever existing
under such Principal Conductor/Chief Executive Officer partnerships as
Rattle/Ed Smith and Oramo/Stephen Maddock. Of course Emma Stenning has every
right to reply, but I, along with all those disgruntled subscribers and myriad
loyal supporters, remain to be convinced, short of an apology.
ends