Classical Music Forum

Leonard Slatkin, music director of the National Symphony Orchestra since 1996, will step down from his position at the end of the 2007-08 season, the orchestra announced Wednesday. At the same time, he has agreed to extend his present contract, which was set to expire in 2006, for two additional years. Read the story:Slatkin, NSO to Part in 2008 (Post, Nov. 18)

Tim Page, the chief classical music critic for The Washington Post, was online Thursday, Nov. 18, at 11 a.m. ET to discuss his announcement and future plans for orchestra.

Page is the author or editor of a dozen books, including "Dawn Powell: A Biography," "The Glenn Gould Reader," "The Unknown Sigrid Undset," "William Kapell: A Documentary Life History of the American Pianist" and "Tim Page on Music." He won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism in 1997 for his writings about music for the Washington Post. He has also worked as an artistic adviser (the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra), a radio host (WNYC-FM in New York), a record producer (BMG Catalyst) and, in his younger days, a rock musician and cocktail pianist. A graduate of Columbia University, he lives in Baltimore with his wife, Julieta Stack.

A transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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Tim Page: It's a strange morning in the Washington area. Yesterday, it was announced that Leonard Slatkin, the National Symphony Orchestra's music director since 1996, will move on at the end of the 2007-2008 season. Moreover, there were strong intimations that his departure was not entirely voluntary.

I have very mixed feelings. It seems to me inarguable that Slatkin has raised the general, night-by-night playing level of the orchestra enormously. He has been a strong and coherent advocate for American music. He has conducted some magnificent concerts -- and a lot of very good ones. The National Symphony Orchestra owes him a great deal, as do the citizens of the Washington area.

That said, I've been increasingly disappointed with aspects of his directorship. The complaints are familiar ones by now (and I'm far from the only person who has made them) -- a lackadaisical approach to rehearsing; an occasional willingness to settle for cleverness over depth; a curious lack of taste.

I should add that I've known Leonard Slatkin for 20 years and have spent many happy hours in his company. This has never kept me from criticizing his work and he has generally taken it well, in the spirit in which it was offered. I am inclined to think it IS time for him to move on -- but I am sorry that it is ending this way, and I can only wish him well.

Please send in your comments and questions. I'll try to get to as many as I can. I'd be especially happy to hear from NSO musicians -- at least one member of the orchestra has written in Slatkin's defense, which we will post right away.

A few other thoughts:

What do we want from our next music director?

Can any music director justify a salary of $1.1 million per year? (My own guess is that the next conductor to take on the NSO will be offered much less -- and I think this deflation is going to continue around the country.)

How will the impending arrival of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra -- which will be playing at Strathmore Hall, right in the heart of D.C. suburbia, every week starting in February -- affect the NSO and its subscribership?

We have a lot to talk about, so let's get started right away.

One reminder -- your messages are anonymous. We cannot tell who is sending us comments, so feel free to be as candid as you'd like.

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Washington, D.C.: I am a current member of the orchestra and Leonard's announcement yesterday came as a complete surprise to most of us. Yes, there have been problems here and there, but he has been willing to work with the musicians when things have been brought up to him and things HAVE improved. This article makes it sound like all of the musicians can't wait for him to leave .. .which is NOT the case.
(From a member of the string section)

Tim Page: I am sorry if I left the impression that the musicians were unanimously united against Slatkin. Such is not the case -- indeed, I've found it hard to get musicians unanimously united about anything. But I do think it is fair to say that there is a high level of dissatisfaction among many of the players -- and that the dissatisfaction was growing.

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Washington, D.C.: It's definitely time for Slatkin to move on. I've found his programming very disappointing in the past few years. "Festival of Favorites"? Come on!

I hope the NSO has the guts to bring in a younger conductor. It would be cool if they could get Kent Nagano or someone like him. Marin Alsop?

But I'm not holding my breath ...

Tim Page: Yes, the "Festival of Favorites" was a disaster -- although it WAS good to hear Osmo Vanska three nights in a row.

Who will be the next pick? I can't imagine that Nagano would take the job and find it unlikely that Alsop would be asked. Both are fine musicians and would bring a lot to Washington, but Nagano is booked up pretty solidly, and Alsop, with her specialty in American music, might be considered too much of a continuation of the Slatkin era.

What about some of the younger Finns? Or that very exciting young French conductor Stephane Deneve? James Conlon's name always comes up in discussions of gifted American conductors who haven't yet taken over a major American orchestra -- I should think the NSO would look at him very carefully.

Still, I don't think anybody has the inner track.

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Vienna, VA: Slatkin was paid $1.1 million? That's a lot of money. Will he get that anywhere else?

Tim Page: That IS a lot of money.

I'll never say never, but I will suggest that jobs that pay that well do not exactly grow on trees -- and I don't see any of them waiting for Slatkin. That is, unless he gets the New York Philharmonic when Maazel leaves, which is a possibility, I guess, although most of his strongest supporters on the NYP board in the early 90s have now moved on to other things.

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Bethesda, MD: Tim, obviously today's big issue is the announced departure of Leonard Slatkin. I was wondering what your perspective was of his tenure and who you thought ought to replace him.

My own view is that while Slatkin did a lot of good things for the NSO, he never really gelled with them as he did in St. Louis. Like Ozawa in Boston, he did a lot of very good work, but really wasn't the best person to lead.

My choice for his successor? James Conlon, recently returned from Europe and newly installed as conductor of the LA Opera. I have never heard the NSO play as well as it did in a concert he conducted them in several years ago.

Tim Page: Thanks for your message. I think I've pretty much stated my thoughts on the Slatkin years -- and it will be some time before we know who will replace him. Don't forget, he's going to be here until the end of 2008.

I do think it safe to say that Slatkin never became as popular here as he was in St. Louis -- but there are many reasons for that. He started as a kid in St. Louis -- he was barely into his 20s -- and grew with the orchestra, and that provides for an intimacy that is impossible to achieve at an older age. Moreover, St. Louis (much as I love the place) was a rather beaten and bedraggled city when Slatkin took the helm, and its citizens rooted for him rather in the way other cities root for their ball players.

For a while, Leonard really was "Mr. St. Louis" -- and nobody, not even the President, will ever be "Mr. Washington." There's too much competition here.

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Rockville, MD: Can we make suggestions about possible successors to Mr. Slatkin? My first choice would be Ivan Fischer. He has done tremendous work with the Budapest orchestra and every concert of him that I have attended - including a great one with the NSO - has been a success. Among the American conductors, perhaps James Conlon would be my first choice namely because he is a good orchestral builder - though I am not keen on his interpretations. And perhaps a wild card may be Heinz Fricke - let's see his debut concert with the NSO...

Tim Page: All excellent musicians -- and I'm especially happy that you mention Heinz Fricke, who strikes me as a vastly undervalued musician.

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Washington, DC: Permit me to point out that the writer condemning Festival of Favorites is in error. That particular programming was the idea of a former executive director. It was tried, and not repeated.

Tim Page: Thanks for the correction.

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Chantilly VA: There is no issue more important for a major symphony than selecting the right music director -- and they don't grow on trees. Seeing what other major orchestra music directors have been paid, I don't consider Slatkin's salary out of line. This is not an issue on which being penny-wise is likely to generate a good result.

Tim Page: I remain convinced that conductor salaries are going to drop across the board. They simply can't be sustained at their present level.

There are no Bernsteins or Karajans around anymore -- and by that I don't mean that we have no great musicians. But a top music director has to bring in an eager audience, win donors, inspire record companies to want to make discs with them and so on. And nobody -- with the possible exception of Simon Rattle, Michael Tilson Thomas, and maybe a couple of others -- has that kind of widely identifiable charisma.

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Fairfax, VA: Hi Tim!;

I think Slatkin still has a lot of unfinished business to do with the NSO. He indeed improved the orchestra but most of the improvement came in the first few seasons of his tenure. Moreover, there's still a lot to go. The strings for example no longer make unpleasant sounds but despite notable improvement they are still outshined by neighboring Baltimore's string section. The woodwinds have always been a strong part of the NSO and remain so even though one of Slatkin's best appointments in the early days, Daniel Matsukawa, has "defected" to Philadelphia. The horns are much improved due to the appointment of Martin Hackleman as principal, but in the days in which he does not play he is sorely missed. Trumpets are fine although not at the level of the very best (say New York Philharmonic); nonetheless they do solid work. Trombones however do need some improvement. Can Slatkin finish the work until 2008 and bring the NSO to the level he brought the St. Louis orchestra? I somehow doubt it...

Thanks and best regards!;

Tim Page: Thanks for your thoughts, most of which I would second.

Who knows? Perhaps Slatkin's best days with the NSO are still ahead. He did a lot of great work with the orchestra early on -- and there have been a number of terrific performances in the past few years, as well.

I certainly can understand him feeling a bit discouraged, though. It's tough to be a lame duck -- and there's no way to pretend that he isn't one.

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Reston, VA: "Can any music director justify a salary of $1.1 million per year?"

I think that it's sad that we as a society pay musicians that much less than sports players. Average hockey players make more than that a year!;!;

I'll be sorry to see him leave. I prefer chamber music to symphonic, but I do believe that he's helped to raise the bar for "classical" music in the DC area.

Tim Page: I agree with you that fine musicians deserve all they can get. But the brutal fact remains that professional sports teams are fantastic money-makers, and symphonies are fantastic money losers. It's unfair, but there it is -- and financial realities cannot be ignored.

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Buffalo, NY: David Robertson? Please??

Tim Page: He's a fine artist -- but all tied up in St. Louis for the moment. My sources tell me he'd like a run at New York when he leaves the Midwest -- and I wouldn't be surprised if there was interest in Manhattan.

In short, I don't think so, but I would be happy to be proven wrong.

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Charlottesville, Va.: I am curious about specifics. What precisely do the current members of the orchestra dislike about Slatkin, and what do they like?

Tim Page: I'd have to direct you to my story, which touches on these issues.

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Washington, DC: I read somewhere that a music director's salary almost always includes compensation per week of conducting. That means that a music director who conducts 18-20 weeks a year will invariably make more than one that only does 11 or 12, doesn't it? (My impression is that Slatkin's done many more weeks per season than either of his two predecessors.)

Tim Page: I think Sir Georg Solti was down to about 10 or 11 weeks in his last years in Chicago, and still commanded one of the highest salaries in the business.

I do think that Slatkin spent a lot more time here than did Rostropovich, but can't vouch for Dorati.

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Reston, VA: With Slatkin's departure, will this affect the other relationships with resident NSO conductors such as Marvin Hamlisch?

Tim Page: I'm sure Hamlisch has his own contract. I don't know the precise association between the two men.

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Fairfax, Va.: This is a comment. I have been attending NSO performances for many years on a subscription basis. I have some music education but I am not by any means an expert. I only want to say how much I have enjoyed the NSO under Leonard Slatkin. The caliber of the orchestra has never been higher. The performances have been varied and an interesting blend of the old and the new. Certainly NSO performances have not been the same old thing every season and this is what has kept me coming back. I am sorry to hear that Slatkin will be leaving but I look forward to the remainder of his tenure and more exciting music from this orchestra.

Edward Faggen
Fairfax

Tim Page: Thanks very much for your comment. Slatkin has given us all some grand evenings at the Kennedy Center.

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Lancaster, Calif.: A friend told me that Esa-Pekka Salonen is leaving the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Is this true? If so, why?

Tim Page: First I've heard of it! Details, details...

I have heard rumors that Salonen wants to return to writing music -- he is a very gifted composer -- but can't quite imagine relinquishing such a plum position.

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Fairfax County: I have never been a big Slatkin fan, I dislike much of his programming and think he's a boring conductor. The concert that stands out in my mind from the previous conductor search was Lorin Maazel, who made that hackneyed old "New World Symphony" sound revelatory. Maazel won't be a candidate this time, but if we could achieve that level of excitement occasionally, it would be a good reason to resubscribe.

Rostropovich was painfully uneven but when he was "on," the orchestra was electrified. Let's go for electricity.

That said, I too would like James Conlon to be seriously considered for this job.

Tim Page: Maazel is awfully exciting, isn't he? His micro-managing gets me down sometimes but he is a real virtuoso.

And Rostropovich's best nights were indeed revelatory. I just wish there had been more of them.

I detect a groundswell of enthusiasm for Conlon.

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Takoma Park, MD: I think the whole thing goes back to what draws an audience to very expensive live performances of music that can be had on CD and now even on DVD for people who have to see what they're hearing.

It's got to be exciting and fresh - otherwise why not stay home with your favorite conductor of the past?

But it's also got to be comforting and familiar, to justify the ticket price.

If a music director could reconcile those impulses,she would be worth something closer to 1.1 million than to 0.

Tim Page: Your points are well taken. It is a very hard time to be a conductor -- you're not just duking it out with your contemporaries, but with glorious memories of the past.

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Charlottesville, VA: After reading your article, I think I see the problem. Too much Vivaldi, not enough classics like Baby Elephant Walk?

Tim Page: Good one!

That was such a strange night. I remember watching Slatkin up there in that birthday hat -- looking both ridiculous and curiously pained -- and the memory that came to mind was Nixon fussing with that yo-yo onstage right before the end of his presidency. In both cases, the absurdity was almost painfully too much -- although I'm not comparing Slatkin to Nixon!

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Washington, DC: I see on the Kennedy Center Web site that Michael Kaiser will be interviewing James Conlon on December 13th for a program called Voices of the Arts. Do you think this is merely a coincidence, or a sign they want him to be a replacement?

Tim Page: I can't imagine that Kaiser wouldn't want to talk with Conlon. I wouldn't read too much into it yet, though. Conlon has other suitors -- and the NSO will probably want to take its time before selecting a new director.

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Fairfax, VA: I particularly like Mr. Slatkin's willingness to talk about the music with the audiences. It would be nice if the music just 'spoke for itself', but I believe insightful comments can deepen an appreciation of the music.

Tim Page: I think that Slatkin is probably our best explainer of music after Bernstein. He won many friends for new music with his concise, cogent introductions.

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Arlington, Va: How much of a difference do you think conductors really make? Suppose for the sake of argument that Levine or Rattle accepted the job and put in 15 weeks a year, do you imagine that the NSO could or would rise to the level of Cleveland or Berlin, or at least Philadelphia?

Tim Page: I think the two gentlemen you mentioned would make a great deal of difference. But remember that music directors exert their influence over time. I don't think Levine or Rattle could get the NSO to the top level in a year. But over time, with enough money, they could do a great deal for the orchestra.

And again -- it bears repeating that Slatkin has done a great deal for this orchestra, too. He is a tremendously important figure in the history of musical life in Washington -- and he will be remembered with gratitude.

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Burke, VA: Can we now make Slatkin to program works that are dear to him and yet he never programmed them here? Like the "Songs of Innocence and Experience" he recently recorded - and this is just one example...

Tim Page: That would be a terrific way for him to spend his last few years here. I think part of his recent problem has been a certain lack of interest in what he was doing -- and conducting pieces that really move him would bring out his best efforts.

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Herndon, VA: Speaking of great explainers of music, I think Benjamin Zander is fantastic -- especially in the discussion discs that accompany the Mahler cycle he is recording for TelArc with the Philharmonia.

I wonder if he could be a dark horse for NSO?

Tim Page: Interesting idea.

I have no idea who will be considered by the NSO.

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Washington DC: NSO seems to have a more interesting schedule than usual this year. Based on what you know about the performers and orchestra,
do you have high interest/expectations on any of these?

Slatkin/Harrell: Barber Cello, Copland Sym #3
Rostropovich: All Tchaikovsky
Norrington: Schubert Sym #8, Bruckner Sym #4
Slatkin/Zimmerman: Mozart Sym #32, Britten
Violin, Shostakovich Sym #11

Tim Page: I'm certainly interested in the Tchaikovsky program. The Norrington concert sounds as though it will be either disastrous or inspired -- maybe both. And I'll be very curious to hear what Slatkin does with the Shostakovich; his recording of the fourth symphony remains one of my favorites.

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Bethesda, MD: Speaking of long tenures, shouldn't the NSO stick with a really proven orchestral builder and letting him finish the job? A big error was the sacking of Antal Dorati and bringing in Rostropovich. Slatkin, as I have said, has improved the orchestra, but there is still work. Look only at Baltimore where Sergiu Comissiona quietly build an orchestra (since then improved by Zinman and Temirkanov) over time while here Dorati was removed in spite of great work.

Tim Page: I think it is generally agreed that the NSO's long-ago dismissal of Dorati was ill-advised.

Slatkin has built up the NSO in many ways. Of course there is still work to be done, but he will leave this orchestra in markedly better shape than he found it -- and for that, we owe him our thanks.

I'll look forward to speaking with you next Wednesday at noon. Thanks for sending in your thoughts this morning.

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