esrosedotblog

CONTINENTAL DIVIDE

As a transplant from back east, I am especially aware of the sort of downhill tilt that exists in the eastern view of western cultural life.

The east sees itself as old, established and culturally superior; the west as raw, raucously disorganized and a cultural wasteland. Hollywood, you know. NYC particularly has it in for LA.

This is perpetuated in the eastern media. I notice regular snide and mocking articles in the NYTimes and elsewhere using the 'boorish LA' meme.

So it was amazing to see the NY Times do a glowing review of at least one aspect of west coast cultural life today; the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.

Continental Shift

We can listen to local broadcasts of the LA Phil and read about it regularly in our own Times. It is a part of the 'scene' here.

With a new hall to play in, they are among the best, no doubt.

And unlike Boston, where we were before, they support innovative programming and a wide selection of modern music.

Of course, in Boston, we had "the Jap". And no one thought much of him or the orchestra in his time.

I don't mean that the Orchestra was not beloved. People just didn't think about it because the man was so totally absolutely not there. I don't know that Levine is any better. I will have to ask.

But here, Esa-Pekka Salonen is present. He is engaged. The Orchestra and its Director are a vital part of the community. Many satellite ensembles exist around the 'Phil'.

There is even a world class chorus here. It is not grudgingly scraped up here and there for special performances. It is considered as great an asset as the Orchestra itself.

And the local musical establishment is enthusiastically supported by the community.

Rich. Wonderful. Refreshing. So called 'classical' music is not dying here.