Earlier this week, Joshua Kosman wrote about the newly-appointed (if not yet officially announced) principal bassoon of the San Francisco Symphony, Joshua Elmore:
Here’s one thing we can say right out of the gate, though: Elmore’s presence brings the number of Black musicians in the orchestra from zero to one. Depending on your temperament and your mathematical outlook, you could describe that as the smallest possible improvement to a historically lamentable situation, or you could describe it as an infinity-percent increase. Both are accurate. The lack of African American musicians — not only in the SF Symphony but in orchestras nationwide — is a perennial scandal, one of a range of systemic inequities that continue to plague the field while those in power resist change. Every incremental improvement is simultaneously welcome and grossly inadequate to the situation.
I couldn't agree more, and you should read the whole thing.
The dearth of Black musicians in the orchestra isn't the only problem just now at SFS. Another is the lack of music by Black composers on the orchestra's 2024-25 schedule. Tonight, the orchestra played this program:
- Bernstein, Suite from Candide
- Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue
- Still, Wood Notes
- Gershwin, Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture
As far as I can tell, Wilkins is the only Black conductor on this season's orchestral series, and Cann is the only Black piano soloist (and maybe the only Black instrumental soloist). I will note that Gale Deadrick who leads the Colors of Christmas concert in December, and Courtney Bryan, who curates a SoundBox concert, are both Black or Black-presenting.
And look at the program Wilkins has: two works by Gershwin, an appropriator of Black musical styles, one of them drawn from the very problematic opera Porgy and Bess; one work by Bernstein, and 50% of the works by Black composers to be heard this season.
That's right: William Grant Still's Wood Notes is half the works by Black composers. The other is by Xavier Muzik, winner of the Emerging Black Composers Project this season. Where on earth are Florence Price, George Lewis, George Walker, Tania Leon, Errolynn Wallen, Pamela Z, Carlos Simon, Julia Perry, Jessie Montgomery, Adolphus Hailstork, Eleanor Alberga, and so many more? I would like to see less Bernstein and Gershwin, and a lot more music by Black composers.
Now, I have no idea how this program came together or whether it's what Wilkins asked for, or what. But I mentally squirmed an awful lot about the fact that the only Black conductor this season was leading this rather narrow, classical-top-20 program and the only Black pianist this season was playing the Rhapsody. Maybe I am being snobby in some way? But boxing off minoritized musicians in specialized repertory or programs is definitely a thing that happens.
4 comments:
In the Gershwins' defense, note how Black musicians and jazzers of all colors have used their music over the last century, from Count Basie’s revolutionary recording of “Lady Be Good,” To countless variations on “I Got Rhythm” to Miles Davis and Gil Evans’ “Porgy and Bess” album from 1959. And "Summertime" has reached a status not unlike folk music....(or so I would argue).
Not unlike folk music? I believe that by issuing a new edition of some kind, the Gershwin family will manage to keep Porgy under copyright far past when the copyright would have expired.
My major points, anyway, are tokenism and the lack of music by Black composers at SFS this season, which is unusually rich in dead white men, more than (I think) the last several seasons.
As an actual Black music lover, and LA Philharmonic subscriber of over 40 years & have been to the SFO a few times during that period and have seen the audience there is not much different than the audience in LA. The addition of only 1 Black musician in the SFO, while lamentable to you and your sense of social justice, makes total sense to me. Where are these Black musicians going to come from? Certainly not from the Black audience for classical music? I just went to the second classical music concert this week where I appeared to be the only Black person in attendance. Here's a dose of reality that will upset your sense of justice... Black people are not interested in classical music! I'm sure you will go to the Salonen - Shostakovich/Brahms concert next week. Do a headcount of Black people you see in the audience. Will there be 27 Black people in a hall of 2,700? I bet not. Will there be over 50 that will be proportional to having a second Black player in the orchestra? If I'm wrong, let me know. One Black player out of about 100 orchestra members makes sense given the demographics of the normal symphony audience.
I'm a Black symphony subscriber who goes to the Philharmonic to hear really great music, not for music that represents my identity or furthers a social justice goal. I have no interest in hearing music from many, if not all, of the Black composers you listed, not because I dislike Black composers, but because I am not interested in hearing mediocre music is the cause of justice, my identity, or to service the needs of your sense of justice or White guilt.
People go to the opera and symphony for all sorts of different reasons. I have certainly noticed that when Black artists (instrumentalist, conductors, singers) or works by Black composers are on the program, there are more Black people in attendance. The Oakland Symphony, which has had Black conductors for decades, has more Black people in attendance than SFS.
SF Opera had a notable number of Black attendees for Omar last season, and Spanish-speaking people at Frida y Diego.
I listed the composer I listed because I think they write (or wrote) excellent music that deserve to be heard. Why Aaron Copland but not Florence Price or Margaret Bonds? Why Mason Bates but not Tania Leon? Why MTT but not George Lewis?
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