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| Marin Alsop believes symphony halls should be welcoming places, not austere temples of culture. On the first day of ticket
sales, she served doughnuts to people standing in line. Andy Nelson – staff |
Marin Alsop breaks the glass baton
The first woman to head a major US symphony wants to make the music hall a welcoming place, not an austere temple of culture.
from the September 26, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 3
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Alsop is a slender ball of focused energy on the podium: bouncing, crouching, jumping, occasionally airborne in her musical zeal. Her arms pump and point and sweep in bold but precise gestures, gestures she has carefully honed to appear "gender neutral" – strong and clean but not fussy. But beyond her skill as a conductor ("Marin Alsop is one of the finest conductors on the planet," according to one smitten British critic), she has won acclaim for connecting with audiences and conveying complex musical concepts with a dash of humor and pizazz.
She talks to her audience, swiveling around on the podium and leaning over the rail to explain the composition about to be played. She creates programs that give a new spin to the classic repertoire (modernist composer John Adams will give his interpretation of Beethoven's 7th Symphony when he conducts next month) and tries to build an audience for contemporary music by inviting prominent composers to discuss their music in public "conversations."
"Everything in life is about personal relationships – including the way one feels about music," she says. "I want to create as many opportunities for people to have that 'aha' moment – give people the chance to really connect with the composers."
Her own signature style is to climb down from the podium after a concert, pull up a chair, and answer questions from the audience. Like her beloved mentor Bernstein, Alsop has fashioned herself into a musical ambassador. Elitists may be appalled, but audiences adore her.
Her innovative approaches earned her a MacArthur Foundation "genius award" in 2005 and an invitation to share her opinions with world leaders at the 2006 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. She also has a regular gig as commentator on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition Saturday show, breezily chatting about the lives of composers and symphonies with host Scott Simon.
"Musicians, like actors and writers, can be maddeningly inarticulate about what they do – because they do it, not talk about it," says Mr. Simon. "Marin is that rare exception. She has such a lucid, human understanding of music that she can explain something the way that others might tell you about certain items on the wall of their living room."
Alsop's journey with the Baltimore Symphony began on a shrill note. When her appointment was announced in the summer of 2005, she was greeted by an unexpected – and very public – rejection from the musicians. The players' relations with the BSO management had been sour for some time, and they staged a revolt over the selection process. Alsop got caught in the crossfire. She was stunned and hurt. Friends advised her to walk away, but that's not her style. She also had to consider how her actions might affect the next woman to be offered the baton of an important orchestra.
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