Oh the Humanity

I've only been back to see the Philadelphia Orchestra once this season (see my Nov. 1 post at http://popculturesnob.blogspot.com/2005_11_01_popculturesnob_archive.html) but the prospect of seeing a top soloist and a top conductor together made it easy for me to ask for tickets. Thanks to A. for getting me tix to one of the hottest concerts of the year - Simon Rattle conducting the orchestra in Mozarts' last piano concerto with Alfred Brendel at piano. I'm not sure why Brendel's name sticks in my mind as a great soloist. I've never seen him before and I don't think I have any recordings of him- I guess its just on reputation alone. Rattle I have seen before and he deserves his reputation as one of the top conductors in the world.

Before the concert I was lucky enough to get to see a bunch of my favorite former co-workers. I stopped backstage to see Julie in her little office. She makes sure the guest artists are ready and accounted for. This is much harder than it sounds. It takes quite a bit of planning to make sure some of these people get from their hotels a few blocks away to the stage every night.
I also ran into Ally (she always put up with me hanging out in her office a lot) and as an extra bonus BOTH Rebeccas (one of whom is also an alumni- she now Executive director of the Philadelphia Singers). We had a few minutes to talk and reminisce but we were soon following the crowd into the hall.

They were running a few minutes behind so I had some time to look through the program. It always pissed me off that I was the last person listed on the staff listing on the program way back when. I don't know if there was anything to it- Accounting was last and I was last in Accounting, even though I had been there twice as long as most of them. Now the staff list is filled with unfamiliar names and is bound to change even more soon. The thing that upset me this time was a picture in the section of the program where the orchestra congratulates itself for the great stuff it does. A few Summers ago I took part in a day some of us spent in Camden helping on a Habitat for Humanity project. We worked very hard (a group of Staff and musicians- maybe eight of us) and helped to clean a back yard of old tires, weeds and lots of other fun trash. It was one of the most satisfying days I spent at the POA- I really felt like we accomplished something. I knew they were partly doing it to get publicity - we had a camera crew following us at one point- but we were also "giving back the community" and so forth. At the end of a very hot and sweaty day they took a group picture of us huddled masses- I grabbed a hammer as a prop to make it look like we had actually done some building. Now I don't care that I looked hot and sweaty and I don't care that I was shown doing something good for once. What I didn't like was that I looked really fat. I know I sound like a girl when I say that, but everyone else looks pretty good and I'm there at the edge of the picture like a big lump. Of course I'm not smiling either - I've never been to good at that in pictures. I suppose I'm being a bit self conscious, but I hated seeing myself there in that program for thousands to see. Couldn't they have used a different shot? I don't even work for them anymore and they are still using bad pictures of me for publicity? Of course no one asked me or warned me it was going to be used. One of the Rebeccas happens to be in charge of communication type stuff for the orchestra so I asked her about it at the intermission. Well, actually I threatened to sue.
"That's happened before" she said. Of course it has - when you print pictures like that without telling people. I don't know if I would be due any damages - that's not for me to say- I guess I just hate that I look so big. Couldn't I have been standing behind someone to hide? No, I was right out front and this camera must have added 30 pounds. At least they don't mention my name. But can't they leave me alone now that I've left behind their employ? Will this picture stay in the Program all year? Is it up on the website? Stay tuned.

Oh yeah. The Mozart was wonderful. Brendel, who is pushing 80, was very elegant and confident with the piece which was pure Mozart. The thirty minute piece floated along making me feel like I was back in 18th century Vienna. Of course Rattle was in complete controll - getting especially great performances from the oboes. Really - it almost made me forget about that damn picture.