Edinburgh Ear takes to cyber space again

I have just spent over £500 on Edinburgh Festival tickets so I feel free to make some critical comments on the Festival programme and invite all festival goers to make comments as well.Last year we launched the Ear because we were frustrated with the critics treatment of the music and opera programme in particular their savaging of Gustavo Dudamel.We were rewarded with 1500 people visiting the site in the 2 weeks of the Festival we covered.This year we are launching the EAR well in advance and invite your participation.My initial impressions are that we have more opera this year but only one properly staged opera, the Festival Theatre which we fought for over a long period is dark most evenings and the orchestral choices are not too exciting, what do you think?

Opera at Edinburgh revisited on Radio 3

Festival goers who are missing their operatic experiences can recapture some of it on Radio 3 as the Festival Operas are broadcast tonight it is the turn of Krol Roger which was undoubetdly the highlight of what the Times described as a limp opera programme.Why dont you listen and report on how it compared?

Can a new Scottish TV station increase coverage of the Edinburgh Festival ?

The Scottish Broadcasting Commission reported today, and recommended the setting up of a new Scottish network TV station and a major review of BBC Scotland and Radio Scotland.One of the major areas it covered was the cultural output, what it calls creative Scotland.In the evidence given to the Commission many people remarked on the failure of the BBC to properly cover cultural events in Scotland and Ian Macwhirter one of Scotlands leading journalist said it was a disgrace that the Edinburgh Festival was largely ignored by the BBC, three half hour programmes over 3 weeks is not exactly comprehensive coverage!Their suggestion is for a new network tv station maybe called Scottish Network TV funded from the money available from the BBC licence fee which is not being spent in Scotland, we get only 3% of BBC revenue spent in Scotland despite raising 9% of the licence fee.They suggest this channel should be seriously funded up, to 75 million pounds a year and should produce quality programmes in news, current affairs and the arts which reflect Scottish life.Clearly a major coverage of the Edinburgh Festival would provide part of this output including transmission of Festival concerts and operas.They also make serious criticism of Radio Scotland and suggest it should improve its coverage of Scottish cultural life.The report has been welcomed by Alec Salmond but also by BBC Scotland and even David Cairns the Labour Scottish Office minister so it looks like it could happen by 2010 when the digital switchover of TV occurs.It could just be that cultural life in Scotland could get much more interesting and while nothing beats attendance at live music events for many who cant make the Festival, the greatest arts festival in the world could come a little closer to them.

The BBC the Edinburgh Festival and the Eurovision Dance Competition

One of the major criticisms of BBC TV made earlier in the EAR was their abject failure to cover the Festival, three half hour programmes in 3 weeks was an insult to the greatest arts festival in the world.As I said at the time no doubt all of the BBC resources were diverted to China for the Olympics! The truth is that Scotland pays 9% of the licence fee and gets only 3% of the expenditure it is time we had a change of control.This feeling was compounded when I saw the tv schedules for today, Saturday 6th September for BBC TV.Of course there was no coverage of the Scotland world cup qualifying game against Macedonia since the SFA had sold off the TV rights to Sky and of course the BBC didnt bid !However tonight you will be able to watch live from Glasgow 2 hours and 15 minutes of expensively produced live coverage (estimated cost half a million pounds) of the Eurovision Dance Contest, well that tells you something of the BBC priorities! If that doesnt shock you then the news that last year the BBC spent £3 million pounds on business class travel for its executives might.That is of course not to mention the 18 million pounds they are paying Jonathan Ross!Now I am a great defender of public service broadcasting in general and the BBC in particular indeed when I was an MEP I spent a long time drawing up rules to protect public service broadcasting, however sometimes the BBC makes itself difficult to defend,today is one of those days what do you think?

The Edinburgh Festival crisis or success for the critics?

At the end of the Festival we have had a series of articles from the critics about the successes and the failures of the Festival.Many of these such as Joyce Macmillan who I mention in my letter to the Scotsman (so far unpublished) deal with the theatre. The EAR focuses on the opera and music of the Festival and indeed came into being because of our frustration with the critics who often seemed to be intent in rubbishing a musical performance which the audience that is we who have paid for our tickets clearly enjoyed.In particular the rubbishing of the performance of Gustavo Dudamel and the Gothenburg Symphony in the first week of the Festival.We the audience loved it and gave it a standing ovation Kenneth Walton of the Scotsman gave it one star and Michael Tumelty of the Herald gave it 2 stars.This provoked a lively online debate in the Scotsman until the Scotsman abolished the right of online response to Festival reviews, at that point we created the EAR.

Kenneth Walton of the Scotsman came back to this debate last Thursday in an article “Conduct unbecoming”.Now ironically over the Festival I have got to know Kenneth Walton, he is a nice guy and very knowledgeable about music however I think he is just plain wrong about Gustavo Dudamel.He attempts to justify his claim that Dudamel is all show and no substance by quoting “an orchestral player” well I talked to several players of the Gothenburg Symphony and that was not their view.Ken also said “he also wiped a very unimagitanive waltz from the memory” now if I were Ken I would not have mentioned this waltz (Ravels La Valse) because so wiped was it from his memory that he substituted it for Ravels Bolero in his review in the Scotsman! He compounds this by going on to compare Dudamel with the amatuers on the BBC show the Maestros .This frankly is an insult to Dudamel who is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest young conductors in the world indeed according to Simon Rattle the greatest how then can Kenneth Walton say he is “naive vulgar and superficial” I am sorry Kenneth I am afraid you have on this occasion lost the plot and gone over the top in defending a weak position.

This furore which caused the EAR to be set up has caused me to examine more closely the work of the music critics in Scotland and has caused me to have a number of observations.Firstly critics are different from us the audience, they are paid to be there and they dont pay for their tickets.I think that makes a difference in the way they experience a concert or opera.They are working we are seeking pleasure, they are taking notes we are enjoying the performance,they rush off at the end of the concert to file their copy often missing the encores we experience the sense of pleasure and community with the performers.This was perhaps most evident at the Dudamel concert when the critics rushed off and missed 3 encores including Gustavo conducting the audience in clapping no doubt a cheap trick for the critics but a great experience for us.

However perhaps the most interesting thing about critics is they dont have the same experience as us the audience and music lovers.I like many others in the Edinburgh music going audience attended every morning at the Queens Hall and every evening at the Usher Hall or the Festival Theatre.We saw the whole musical range of the Festival so we can compare and contrast reflect and learn, let me share a secret with you, none of the critics did this, partly because they were working at other jobs partly because their newspaper would not let them do it.We have I believe a major crisis in the media in Scotland our two national newspapers are suffering from declining sales and advertising revenue and I believe this crisis is reflected in our music criticism.Surely a national newspaper should be able to fund a full time music critic who could actually attend all of the Festival? What do you think, join in this debate and say what was your experience of the Festival and what is your judgement of the critics?

Finally the EAR was a product of the Festival however I hope to keep it going the rest of the year and comment on the classical music and opera scene in Scotland (and the occasional visit to Covent Garden).It would be great if other readers could join in with articles and comments.Also to act as a forum to discuss the future of the Festival during the year,then of course next year we will be up and running and ready for the Festival debate. A recent survey suggested that Scots are among the happiest people in Europe one of the things we enjoy is a good argument let us continue our disputations!

A tribute to Vera heroine of the Queens Hall

From the Herald

The week’s Little Devil, and the last of the year, went to Vera Alexander, doyenne of the ushers in Edinburgh, who made time to join the party before working at the King’s for Bourne’s matinee. Vera, who has more than 50 years’ experience in the business, was at her usual post in the Queen’s Hall before last Monday’s chamber music recital when a would-be robber tried to make off with the cloakroom and programme money. Small though she is, Vera fought back, recovering most of the money from the thief, who wisely beat a hasty retreat.

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Posted by: Hugh Kerr, Edinburgh on 3:26pm today

Congratulations to Vera some years ago they tried to get rid of Vera on the grounds of age and I pointed out that they were likely to be breaching European law and fortunately she was allowed to stay.She is the heart and soul of the Queens Hall in her cloakroom with her visiting guide dog Joy she also has a good instinct for what makes a good Festival show as she used to tell Brian Macmaster.Perhaps we can get her to advise Jonathan Mills!

Congratulations to Vera some years ago they tried to get rid of Vera on the grounds of age and I pointed out that they were likely to be breaching European law and fortunately she was allowed to stay.She is the heart and soul of the Queens Hall in her cloakroom with her visiting guide dog Joy she also has a good instinct for what makes a good Festival show as she used to tell Brian Macmaster.Perhaps we can get her to advise Jonathan Mills!

A letter in reply to the Scotsman editorial “A Festival success”

The jury is still out on Jonathan Mills the new Festival director, your editorial claims my article in the Scotsman suggesting it was over thematic has been proved wrong.Yet the evidence for this position is weak.Your own chief drama critic Joyce Macmillan expressed her concerns over the experimental nature of the Festival drama.Many festival goers and quite a few critics have found the opera programme disappointing, one critic called it limp.Your own chief music critic found the opening and closing concert weak.As for increased takings yes this may be true but since prices were increased this year does this reflect a greater attendance or greater revenue?You report that one in three shows were sold out but this means that 2 out of 3 were not sold out and indeed some of them were very empty indeed.
Of course there were many highlights to savour, as always the morning concerts at the Queens Hall were a joy.The visit of the Mariinsky Opera and Valery Gergiev was a high point and I congratulated Jonathan Mills for getting them this year and hope we can get them back.There many superb concerts at the Usher Hall and let us hope it really is finished for next year.I think Norman Lebrecht was as usual over the top in his article on the Festival however his doubts over the suitability of the Festival director are not isolated in Edinburgh.Of course I still enormously enjoyed the Festival and was moved to create an online forum the EAR (Edinburgh Audience Review) available at http://thear2008.wordpress.com so that we the audience who pay for our tickets can debate with the critics who do not.So far over one thousand people have visited the site and I invite your readers to participate in the debate.Of course Edinburgh will survive Mr Mills and his themes, it is the greatest arts festival in the world in the most beautiful city in the world.On Saturday I met an English woman who has just moved to Edinburgh and enjoyed her first festival she said “what I want to know is, why everyone doesnt want to move to Edinburgh it is just wonderful”

Hugh Kerr editor the EAR

A Child Of Our Time a joyous and appropriate end to the Edinburgh Festival

The Edinburgh Festival ended last night with a superb performance of Michael Tippett’s a Child Of Our Time which surely must be one of the most neglected musical masterpieces of the twentieth century. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra were reunited with the great Russian conductor Gennadi Rozhdestvensky who had been a principal conductor with the BBC Symphony Orchestra in the past and at the age of 77 is likely to be one of his last performances at the Festival. Since we have already said goodbye to Brendel and on Saturday morning to the Beaux Arts Trio it seems to be a Festival of farewells. However he showed no lack of control on Saturday night and a chorus member told me he had been very authoritative in rehearsal. The Festival Chorus were singing very well, perhaps their best of the Festival but then arguably this was their most melodic work, particularly the wonderful spirituals at the centre of the work. The chorus and the orchestra were complimented by a great group of soloists. The wonderful John Tomlinson filled the Usher Hall with his rich bass voice, Jane Irwin was her reliable mezzo self, John Mark Ainsley tended to be drowned out by the orchestra perhaps because the singers were placed behind the orchestra. However, star of the night was young American soprano Nicole Cabell who EAR readers will remember won the Cardiff Singer of the World in 2005. She dominated the stage on Saturday and her soaring soprano voice blended beautifully with the chorus in the spirituals. The essential humanity of Tippett’s message was an appropriate end to a Festival whose theme of Europe Without Borders had often been echoed in contemporary events whether in Georgia, Russia or the middle east as well as patchily in the artistic programme. I will post a longer article on the Festival as a whole however the closing concert (unlike the opening concert) was a triumph and one we will all remember with pleasure in years to come.

The Jerusalem Quartet politics and music

This morning I was in the Queen’s Hall with a thousand other people to hear a very fine young string quartet- the Jerusalem Quartet. The concert was disrupted several times by supporters of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign protesting at Israel’s occupation of Palestine. Their particular complaint was “that this was an Israeli Army Quartet”. Apparently the Army somewhere has a picture of them with rifles as well as their instruments. Like all Israelis the Quartet no doubt had to do their national service and no doubt the Israeli Army used this as a propaganda item. However the Quartet are full time musicians and as one of them said at the Queen’s Hall “There are bad things in Israel and good things and we want to bring you good things and play music for you”. Ironically their cellist is a close friend of Daniel Barenboim and is a member of his East/West Orchestra which has Palestinian and Israeli members and attempts to heal the divide in Palestine. Indeed this morning he was playing Jaqueline Du Pre’s cello lent him by Barenboim. I am a long time supporter of Palestinian rights as I suspect were many in the Queen’s Hall this morning however the effect of this disruption was totally counterproductive and by the end of their actions they had discredited the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and no doubt increased support for Israel. The young musicians in this superb Quartet got a standing ovation at the end, not just for their playing but for their fortitude. So what did the demonstrators achieve? They may have felt better that they were doing something, but in reality not only had they failed to win support for the Palestinian cause but they had probably lost it.
This raises a wider point: should we mix music and politics? I think this is a very dangerous road to go down. The theme of the International Festival this year is Europe Without Borders. In the light of events, a very relevant theme. On the opening day of the Festival South Ossettia was invaded by Georgia. Should demonstrators have disrupted the Georgian State Ballet? The Russians responded by invading Georgia and Valery Gergiev the conductor of the Mariinsky flew to Edinburgh from a solidarity concert given on the steps of the Town Hall in South Ossettia bombed by the Georgians. However his solidarity was with the Russian residents of South Ossettia. Should we have disrupted the Mariinsky operas in Edinburgh?-after all one of their operas was about repelling the alien invaders, in this case the Germans!
Of course if you extend the boycott disruption to theatre there is a rich vein to mine. For example, the Palestinian National Theatre was appearing at the Festival. Should Zionists have disrupted the play? Similar cases could be made for plays from Poland, Bosnia Hungary etc -a dangerous road to go down.
Of course in the end everything is political and music can be used and abused by dodgy politicians and has been in the past. Verdi, the great Italian opera composer wrote operas which were a thinly disguised plea for Italian national unity. An opera at La Monnaie, the Brussels opera house, led to riots in the street and the creation of the Belgian State. Above all, Wagner was used and abused by the Nazis in general and Hitler in particular who loved Wagner and was a regular visitor to Bayreuth, Wagner’s operatic home. Ironically, Wagner had been a revolutionary in his youth and chaired the revolutionary committee in Dresden. In his old age he became a reactionary anti-semite but the important thing was that his music was wonderful and his operas, particulary his Ring Cycle, can be interpreted in different ways. Recently I saw a feminist version in Copenhagen which clearly was a concept too far for Michael Portillo the ex Tory cabinet minister who was sitting in front of me!
However music can also be a healing force, a point made eloquently at the Queen’s Hall by a man who appealed to the demonstrators, who had interrupted a Haydn string Quartet he said ” dont you realise that Haydn was called Papa Haydn because of his humanity and why don’t you look at what Barenboim is doing in Paestine?”. Music has on the whole been a force for good and healing historically. The European Parliament opens each September with Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, the European anthem and a cry for freedom. When I helped to organise the launch of the Euro as an MEP we brought the La Scala opera orchestra to Brussels. Their conductor Claudio Abbado said “today you have been discussing European Unity but music is the real unifying language of Europe”. As an MEP I was in charge of the music budget and we funded intiatives such as the European Youth Orchestra, a European Youth Jazz band, European Youth Opera and many others which brought young people together across Europe. We funded Yehudi Menuhin’s schools for refugee children which used music and dance as therapy. We helped fund the Mostar War Child intiative for music therapy for war damaged children. Music is an international language which speaks emotionally to people, it should not be rudely disrupted to make a political point better made in other ways.

Hugh Kerr was an MEP in charge of music policy in the European Parliament he is editor of the online music forum the EAR (Edinburgh Audience Review).

Staatskapelle Dresden late but in earnest!

After my lively debate I attended the second and third part of the concert by the Staatskapelle Dresden at the Usher Hall which replaced the two concerts originally scheduled and abandoned when the instruments failed to turn up on time.However the orchestra made up for it with a superb concert including a fine account of Strauss Ein Heldenleben and an interesting new work by Austrian composer Bernhard Lang, Monandology 11 which began with a minimalist style but built up to a driving crescendo.The Usher Hall was packed with people from the cancelled concert the night before plus the concert last night,interestingly about a quarter of the audience left at the pause before the final new work, were the audiences afraid of the new work or did they have to get to their beds! Answers to the EAR please.