Men make Better Conductors

[jean]

I'll still go to his concerts!

Me too, Mary.

(The English-language Norwegian source I found had sweet, not cute. Not sure how much difference that makes!)

[jean]

I should like to see the whole of this article properly translated before passing comment.

As I pointed out it's not an article, but an interview.

The bit under discussion is this:

Petrenkos kvinnesyn: - Ekstremt og fornærmende - Jeg tror at når kvinner får familier blir det vanskelig å være så dedikert som bransjen krever. En annen side er at orkestermusikere reagerer bedre på å ha en mann foran seg. De har ofte mindre seksuell energi og kan fokusere mer på musikken. En søt jente på podiet gjør at tankene går mot noe annet, sier Vasily Petrenko.

I found a Norwegian, and he translated it thus:

Petrenko's view of women - extreme and insulting. I think when women have families it is difficult for them to be as dedicated as the profession requires. Another aspect is that orchestra musicians react better having a man before them. They often have less sexual energy and can focus more on the music. A sweet girl on the podium can lead to one's thoughts being led elsewhere, says Vasily Petrenko.

Which (sadly) isn't much different from the English versions we've been offered in the press.

If only he'd been in a position to say I never said any of that!

(søt is clearly cognate with sweet, but whether the connotations are the same I couldn't say.)

[french frank]

Which (sadly) isn't much different from the English versions we've been offered in the press.

It's also almost word for word what was on the artsjournal website. It was an interview, as you say, not an article : "Among other topics, they [Petrenko and another newly appointed conductor] were asked why men continue to dominate the world of conductors."

Another explanation would be that he was just stuck to come up with an answer ... why should he be particularly competent to explain?

[jean]

Thank goodness we didn't ask him any trick questions like that when he first came to Liverpool - he might have been out on his ear before we'd even registered what a prize we'd got!

[Barbirollians]

I suppose therefore if he is stating that this is the approach in Russia that changes the context significantly

1 If Russia's orchestras don't allow family friendly policies

2 The sexist approach of Russian male musicians to female conductors

What is the meaning of the opening words " extreme and insulting " the intreviewer's assessment of Petrenko's views or Petrenko's assessment of Russian male musicians .

It does seem very out of kilter with his interviews in the UK , the number of female musicians in the RLPO and in my experience the high number of female soloists engaged by the orchestra.

[amateur51]

I thought this was old news - he retracted it the following day.

Oh well that's all right then

[amateur51]

A, why is it that when I read one of your posts, I hear it in my head in Dalek?

Tinnitus perhaps?

[ahinton]

At the risk of crossing the border between this thread and another current one on this forum, one might be forgiven for wondering what VP might think of gay conductors and their possible effect upon orchesral musicians - as applies in Russia only, of course...

That said, I have as much admiration for VP's conducting as anyone, on the strength of such as I've heard from him.

[ahinton]

Tinnitus perhaps?

Or maybe it's something to do with the head being in the now exclamatory oven at the time. Who knows? Does it matter to anyone else here?

Anyway...

The price of beef, the price of fish
Are quite enough to make one wish
For answers straight and evidence
Instead of sitting on the fence.
(from Pam’s Airs, Foible & Fable, London, c.2013, p.51)

[amateur51]

Or maybe it's something to do with the head being in the now exclamatory oven at the time. Who knows? Does it matter to anyone else here?

Anyway...

The price of beef, the price of fish
Are quite enough to make one wish
For answers straight and evidence
Instead of sitting on the fence.
(from Pam’s Airs, Foible & Fable, London, c.2013, p.51)

Good to see you escaping the grip of e.e.cummings, ahinton

[MrGongGong]

Originally Posted by Beef Oven!


A, why is it that when I read one of your posts, I hear it in my head in Dalek?
Tinnitus perhaps?

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?8799-Ring-Modulators-Roger-Smalley-H-amp-N&highlight=ring+modulator

[ahinton]

Good to see you escaping the grip of e.e.cummings, ahinton

...but at the same time not lapsing into Belloc(quence) as another member implied not long ago...

[jean]

A brief interview with Marin Alsop on Today on R4 this morning at about 8.50 - she was asked if she'd spoken to Vasily Petrenko about his comments and she said she hadn't had time.

She added that she knew all about remarks being taken out of context, and that she couldn't imagine that was really how he thought.

[french frank]

She added that she knew all about remarks being taken out of context, and that she couldn't imagine that was really how he thought.

She'll never make a journalist!

[amateur51]

All best wishes to Marin Alsop for tonight's big event - she'll be fine, I bet