We ran a notice a few months ago about the imbroglio in Cleveland earlier this year, when news that the Cleveland Plain Dealer had reassigned its long-time classical music critic to cover things other than the Cleveland Orchestra.
At the time, the issue seemed to be writer Donald Rosenberg's continued criticism of the orchestra's music director, Franz Welser-Most. Orchestra officials, who had granted Welser-Most a 10-year contract in June, had petitioned the newspaper to do something about Rosenberg, characterizing his reviews as "petty and vindictive."
Now, the second movement has started.
Read the story:
Plain Dealer’s Music Critic, His Beat Changed, Sues Paper and Orchestra
According to Rosenberg's suit, this effort to get him ousted stemmed from his reporting of comments Welser-Most made four years ago to a European publication -- comments that painted Cleveland as something of a backwater town full of rubes willing to pay vast amounts of money to share some air with the great conductor.
Welser-Most is not the first conductor to look down on the city supports hims and the management that signs his paycheck. But, as I understand the history, Welser-Most made these remarks right before, or right after, he received his first contract extention from the Cleveland Symphony.
Then, on the other hand, there is this assessment, also from 2004, by English critic Norman Lebrecht
Read the story: The Conductor They Love to Hate
On a not entirely unrelated matter, the two major papers in Dallas and Fort Worth have taken an unusual -- and controversial -- step to the idea of collaboration: One critic reviewing productions for both papers.
Read the story: Hearing Fewer Voices
