The Philadelphia Orchestra rolls out the Nezet-Seguin Era by Curtis Rittenhouse

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Wednesday, January 25 2012

The Philadelphia Orchestra continues to market their new music director Yannick Nezet-Seguin with thought and care. Rather than simply providing access to the press and big dollar contributors, management has been building customer loyalty with post-concert chats with the obliging 36-year old conductor when he on the podium. He in turn has continued ingratiate himself with Philadelphia by being unpretentious, energetic, accessible, and enthusiastic. To audiences used to the imperiousness of past masters of the baton in the past like Szell and Reiner and Solti, this unvarnished eagerness comes as a shock. It is clear by now Yannick genuinely likes the prospects of leading this particular orchestra and is as happy as a lottery winner with any of the many challenges at hand.

This charm offensive was again on display Wednesday evening at Verizon Hall, when management held a reception for their subscribers and the general public to announce the new season, the first in which Nezet-Seguin had input. Alison Vulgamore, President and CEO, joined concertmaster David Kim and the new music director to review the season ahead and drum up ticket sales. Announced highlights include an opening night concert with MET super-soprano Renee Fleming, performances of the Verdi Requiem, events honoring the 100th anniversary of YNS’s predecessor Leopold Stokowski’s first season with the orchestra, summer concerts at the Academy of Music,  the US premier of Osvaldo Golijov’s violin concerto, an Easter performance of Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passion and return appearances by guest conductor Sir Simon Rattle.

“I’m a choral music person.  I love choral music,” the still boyish conductor enthused to a receptive crowd. He disclosed they will be seeing more requiems, masses, religious pieces and possibly some concert performances of opera with chorus in the years to come. There will be more Bruckner, a composer he likes, judging by his recordings.

He mentioned that he has studied Stokowski’s programs and career with the Philadelphia Orchestra and will alter the basic format from time to time based on things he has learned from ‘Stoky,’ who put American classical music on the map long before Leonard Bernstein came along. YNS comes across a serious student and perpetual learner when he speaks. It may be this quality, as well as his openness and lack of snobbishness that has clearly endeared him to his players represented by concertmaster Kim.

“About fifteen minutes into our first rehearsal with Yannick, I looked at my stand-mate and we both whispered ‘isn’t this be the next music director?” Kim revealed. Kim will have his own Mozart program in the news schedule. ” We are all very excited he is finally here.”

And management too has put all its chips on its charismatic Canadian conductor. He will lead programs for nine weeks, including the opening concert. When he is not here, Philadelphia audiences will see a distinguished but standard list of conductors making the rounds of first tier symphony orchestras today. Most of these arrangements predate Nezet-Seguin’s naming. Two notable absences from the schedule are Music Director Emeritus Dutoit who now leads the Royal Philharmonic in London, and popular favorite Vladimir Jurowski who leads the London Philharmonic. Both are promised to return in upcoming seasons.

YNS for his part seems to thrive on these public appearances. He has been in front of Phillies fans leading Take Me Out to The Ball Game. He will lead a young people’s concert next year. He will be out and about in the community. And there he was Wednesday again shaking hands, collecting notes from admirers and radiating modesty. One cannot imagine Ormandy, Muti, or even Dutoit being talked into this kind of promotional push.

Philadelphia has a strong tradition of orchestral excellence, thanks in large part to Stokowski and Ormandy. Their many recordings still document the orchestra’s esteemed past. There was talk at Wednesday’s event about finding a young audience for classical music and the place of new music. This is a universal question in the world of classical music which has watched audiences shrink in recent years. The average age of American concertgoers is well into the 60’s. And there were a lot of grey heads at the event offering their own thoughts. It was noteworthy to see a major symphony orchestra carrying on a dialog like this with their own concertgoers.

But what came across most forcefully is everybody’s growing romance with this young guy with the long French-sounding name. The Philadelphians have chosen well and know it. Management’s handlers show an occasional tendency to treat him like a young pup out among a lot of creatures who may not have had all their shots. In time trust will grow. They will learn from him, and he will of course learn some harsh realities from them. The orchestra is still struggling through Chapter 11 bankruptcy. But right now, passion and good will is in the air. Stay tuned.

Curtis Rittenhouse

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