Youth orchestra's name change

[Guest]

As a great admirere of Dudamel and his young Venezuelan band I was surprised to see their new Tchaikovsky disc for DG has dropped the 'Youth' from the orchestra's title; it's now simply the Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar.

I know it's only a cosmetic change, but I wonder why they chose to alter what must be a very strong 'brand' in the classical music business.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Perhaps their youth has aged all too quickly in the tropical heat?

[Nick Armstrong]

They used to be known simply as The Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra and were recording before their Dudamel-era fame - see e.g. this recording from the 1990s http://www.amazon.co.uk/Music-Latin-...8938832&sr=8-4

I thought this was a separate, adult band till I read the Sistema website: http://www.fesnojiv.gob.ve/en/the-si...venezuela.html

I guess the apparent recent dropping of the word 'youth' again may be in order to preserve the current line-up of the orchestra (which like Mahlerei I also admire greatly having seen them twice - the hall coat stand is still adorned by one of their red-blue-yellow jackets). That group of musicians is getting on now (i.e. late 20s), and I suppose if they want to keep them together as a unit, they have to become the adult band...

Maybe there will be tours etc by a new version of the Youth Orchestra filled with the next wave of teens and early-20s to carry on the work - I guess the current 'second team', the Teresa Carreño Youth Orchestra of Venezuela: http://www.fesnojiv.gob.ve/en/perfil-sjtcv.html

[Mahlerei]

Caliban

I daresay you're right about the current batch of players maturing, but I assumed new - and youthful - players would move in as well. My feeling is that the change of name is confusing - I too thought they were a different band - and that's never a good idea in marketing terms.

Still, they're always worth hearing so I'll be getting that Tchaik disc. There's also a Blu-ray of them performing with Abbado in Lucerne that's on my wish-list

[Nick Armstrong]

There's also a Blu-ray of them performing with Abbado in Lucerne that's on my wish-list

Mine too

[Mahlerei]

I see Mr Hurwitz has dissed the new Tchaikovsky disc:

http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=13240

[Bryn]

I see Mr Hurwitz has dissed the new Tchaikovsky disc:

http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=13240

That is indeed quite a feather in its cap. I am almost tempted to order it. I'm trying to recall the specifics of the most recent garbage review of his I came across on Amazon. Unfortunately, all I remember is that he got all his basic facts wrong, a bit like when he confounded string vibrato with portamento and fluttertongue, (in his long, bogus erudition filled, diatribe against Norrington),as if they were all the same thing.