The Creekside Singers performing with the South Dakota Symphony
“There’s just a tremendous amount of caution, a tremendous amount of groupthink, in the orchestra world. So to see an orchestra really out on its own, forging its own identity, and bringing its audience along with it is just extremely impressive – even more impressive than I anticipated.”
That’s Alex Ross, of The New Yorker, discussing the South Dakota Symphony in my upcoming NPR “More than Music” program: “Shostakovich in South Dakota,” which airs via WAMU’s “1A” newsmagazine this coming Monday at 11 am ET. Referencing Delta David Gier, who has been the South Dakota Symphony’s music director since 2003, and who moved to Sioux Falls and raised his family there, Ross continues:
“For a music director to carry off an ambitious project, you have to be there. You have to be on the scene, persuading people, interacting with them, listening to their ideas. Not just communicating your own. Building a sense of cooperation. You cannot do that as effectively if you’re flying in for two or three weeks, and another couple of weeks in the winter, and another two weeks in the spring. I find it a bit outrageous that music directors are so highly paid to begin with for one job – and then you find them holding a second or even a third position with exorbitant salaries in those places as well. This, of all things, is something the orchestra world should really be thinking about: drastically revising our idea of who a music director is, what their job entails.”
Ross told me he had long considered visiting South Dakota to see for himself what Delta David Gier was up to – programing quantities of new music, regularly tackling big repertoire. The focus of my NPR show is Gier’s contextualized performance of Shostakovich’s Leningrad Symphony last February, with linkage to South Dakota’s two major universities. I also explore the symphony’s signature Lakota Music Project, which connects SDSO to Indian reservations throughout the state, and about which SDSO principal second violinist Magda Modzelewska says: “In Indian culture we’ve found such peace and good will. It’s truly remarkable how similar our musical goals are. We get to share something sublime.”
Regarding Delta David Gier’s criticism of. famous conductors allegedly spending too little time as music directors of their orchestras , Mr. Gier fails to mention one fact : today’s top orchestras have much longer seasons than they did in the past , which is not necessarily a bad thing . It’s impossible for one conductor who is music director of any of these major orchestras to conduct. a different program every week from September through May or June .
I haven’t heard Gier conduct yet and have never heard the South Dakota symphony orchestra play , , and from what I have heard from Alex Ross and Joseph Horowitz ,about this combination of conductor and orchestra they appear to be doing a lot of admirable things . But as far as I know, the South Dakota symphony orchestra does not have a. full season of concerts. like the great orchestras of New York, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland , Philadelphia , Los Angeles, San Francisco and other major US cities , so it’s possible for Gier to spend a lot of time. with it ..
Guest conductors are essential for any major orchestra with a full season ; They often do works which the music director either does not want to conduct or. doesn’t know ., thus enabling the orchestra to play the widest possible variety of music . The opportunity to play under a variety of different conductors makes life more interesting for them and for audiences . None the less , it’s impossible not to admire Gier and the South Dakota orchestra on the basis of what I’ve heard about them .
Robert, I think the comment from the article is attributed to Alex Ross. The quote is not from Delta David Gier.
I have heard the SDSO, and I have heard the comparable symphonies in my home state. SDSO outshines our local symphonies–no comparison. You can tell when musicians are on board, happy to be there. The conductor of our local symphony flies in from another city, in another country, and his idea of getting to know the community is hobnobbing with the socialites on the symphony board. No wonder most of the audience has gray hair. (Nothing against gray hair, but what is going to happen when the audience dies out?) Hey, mister: What about the audiences of the great symphonies? Are they great, or do they show up to show off their empty gowns and suits?
Just to clarify, the quote regarding conductors spending too little time in a city is actually by Alex Ross and not Delta David Gier.
Mr. Berger: Gier didn’t make the comments about conductors who get paid big salaries but don’t spend much time with the orchestra( it was Alex Ross. And I don’t think he was
suggesting.that a “famous conductor”
should conduct every concert over a 40-week season. But increasing the number from a handful to, say, 20 would be good for everyone.
Just to clarify that quote regarding composers coming and going was by Alex Ross, not Delta David Gier.