Marin

Just arrived home from the Symphony where I heard Beethoven symphonies 1 and 4. What growth into his own between the two. The 1st is Hayden’s student, the 4th is Beethoven working out yet another problem. You can just hear the precision vehicle starting and stopping, banking left and right. “See, I can do this. And I can do this. And even this.” Each symphony another step into Beethoven’s personality until it culminates with the 9th. Glorious. Guest conductor and composer, Thomas Ades, performed full body conducting. His music, and Beethoven’s.

It reminds me that I heard, also at the BSO just a couple of weeks ago, the Carmina Burana again. What a fantastic piece of music; I never get tired of hearing it. And I love seeing it performed. It was after this performance that our new Maestra, Marin Alsop, made clear who the boss is. Usually when a group of soloists are onstage the women leave the stage first; even if they have been standing far stage left, all men gallantly sweep their arms in front of them to permit the women to exit stage right first. I’ve never ever seen a male performer – instrument or voice – or conductor permit a woman to follow him off the stage. Never. But Marin is the conductor. She is the boss. So when the three soloists – two male, one female – finished the Carmina and took their bows it was clear that she had already made it clear backstage that the conductor was to follow the soloists off the stage. Even if the conductor was a woman. The conductor always brings up the rear. And so it is with the Maestra of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. She leaves the stage last, politely and gallantly ushering her soloists off first.

In the early, early days of her tenure here – she is still in her first year – there was confusion about who would exit first. A male violinist tried to show his respect for the gentler gender by motioning that she go before him. They piled up into a small crack up just to the right of the podium, and exited the stage together – her hand gripping his upper arm. But she’s obviously left instructions that that is not to happen any longer. Marin is the boss and she will depart in the boss’s position: last. Good for her!