Mozart the Certain

If titles could cry, this one would be committing suicide by drowning itself in its own tears in a small, cold, windowless greenroom of the Vancouver Opera House.

What can Mozart teach us about leadership?

Brad Frenette

Vancouver Sun, Community of Interest Blog

Now, because the title is perhaps one of the most ridiculous I’ve ever encountered, I feel I need to provide a little background, so we don’t get the wrong idea. First, we should note that Brad Frenette is the general director of the Vancouver Opera, so already there’s a lack of journalistic standards and, perhaps, a conflict of interest. And second, the Sun’s Community of Interest blog describes its mission as “[…] featuring the opinions of tastemakers, community advocates and thought leaders from across Vancouver, Canada and the world […],” which means, if the title is any indication, that Brad is more of a tastemaker rather than thought leader. I guess, the wrong idea is already the correct one.

[whew]

Alright, let’s dig in.

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So, what exactly can Mozart teach us about leadership? [tongue in cheek] Not that I expect an answer.

There are many reasons why I am passionate about opera:

That’s nice. Why don’t you list your reasons? Because, you know, they won’t be generic or anything.

“Okay,” he says.

…beautiful, emotional and inspiring music; literate, poetic language; grand and glorious productions on stages filled with singers, choristers and dancers; and very often, a link with important people and events in the past.

So often—but not all the time, mind you—there’s a link (i.e., ?) with things in (of?) the past.

Believe it or not, I, too, am passionate about the past. Like, it happened and stuff.

But another reason I am passionate about opera is the relevance it has for our lives today.

Because the general director of the Vancouver Opera is telling me that opera is relevant today, I should believe him. After all, he’d have no incentive to tell me otherwise, right?

Fine. How is it relevant? Does it have something to do with Mozart teaching us about leadership?

[Ha ha ha! I still can’t get over the title. It’s just wrong for so many reasons. Anyway…]

Opera is certainly not alone among the arts in this ability to speak to us about our own times, but it is the art form I know best and about which I can speak with certainty.

There’s certainly a lot of certainty going on here.  Certainly, when I encounter so much certainty, I am surely reminded, with certainty, of that without-a-doubt inspiring quip by the most famous of Jedi: “Only certain Sith Lords deal in irrefutable absolutes.”

And after a bit about how the opera company works hard to help their audience appreciate its 21^st century relevancy, despite its “powdered wigs and foreign languages,” this:

But here I believe is the wonderful secret of my art form: opera is about the big things, the important emotions of all of us humans….and these “big things” and large emotions don’t change from year to year, decade to decade, or even century to century. 

Rarely, these days do I encounter such advocacy of classical-era (enlightenment) thinking. Maybe I should go bleed myself to alleviate the headache this is causing me.

Sometimes these sweeping themes…

That is, large emotions that never change.

Sometimes these sweeping themes are rather personal: love and betrayal; estrangement; the distances created between families and friends and the bridges to span those distances.

Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Me! Me! Me! Pick me!

Yes, Empiricus?

That means, sometimes the sweeping themes, which are large emotions that never change, are also societal.

Very good, Empiricus.

Sometimes the big ideas are societal: when we last produced Aida, we investigated the plight of “Women in War” with Lloyd Axworthy, Ruth Segal and others;

Now pick me! Pick Me!

Yes, Brad?

Sometimes, self-promotion is all about leadership and Mozart taught me that.

Wrong, Brad.

…when we staged Macbeth our panelists examined “Power and its Abuse;”

You’re still doing it wrong, Brad. You’re not carrying the four. And you multiplied the denominator only afterwards. See what you did wrong, there?

…in 2002, during the opera Of Mice and Men important BC artists discussed the “Role of the Arts in Effecting Social Change.”

Nevermind, Brad. Just go to recess.

Our current offering, Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito, is about one important thing:

Well, if the above was of any help, I would guess that Tito is about leadership, which is one large emotion. [cough]

But will it ever be explained? Tune in tomorrow for all the answers or not.

[tomorrow] 

Meanwhile, back at the Detritus Towers…

Our current offering, Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito, is about one important thing: what qualities do we want in those who lead us?

Finally! Finally something refers to the title, that absurd, absurd title. Maybe now we’ll know the answer to the big question: how can Mozart teach us about leadership?

Mozart’s gorgeous and spirited music, the intriguing scenery and stellar singing are all in the service of this big idea [i.e., one large, never-changing emotion].

Yeah, yeah. But how is it that those things teach us about leadership?

Is ruling with compassion a better idea than ruling with vengeance?

Let’s ask Mozart!

Is the good of the people more important than the reputation of the leader? Does forgiveness in a leader show strength or betray weakness?

Sounds more like Mozart is asking the questions, rather than answering them.

Mozart’s opera inspired us to bring together a first-class panel last week at the Vancouver Public Library to discuss this notion of effective and compassionate leadership.

What can Mozart teach us about leadership?

Columnist Gary Mason, UBC professor Michael Byers, Tsawwassen First Nations Chief Kim Baird, Superintendent of West Vancouver schools Chris Kennedy, and Brenda Eaton, Chair of BC Housing Management Commission, discussed with one another and the audience their beliefs concerning leadership. 

Hello?! What can Mozart teach us about leadership?

Mason spoke of VANOC CEO John Furlong’s exercise in nation building which was built in part on the biggest Olympics torch relay in history…

!!!

…involving Canadians across this land, as well as convincing the powers-that-be to invest in the performance of our athletes, which paid off handsomely and helped unite the country in its pride and patriotism.

That doesn't have anything to do with Mozart, does it?

Michael Byers noted that after his long prison sentence and eventual rise to the South African presidency, Nelson Mandela rejected revenge as a tool of governance and instead focused on “truth and reconciliation” and sought to heal his country by his ferocious support of the Springbok Rugby team as it grew to be the World Cup winner, as portrayed in the film Invictus.

Ah, yes, Invictus. Wait, what?!

Isn’t Mozart supposed to teach us about leadership?

Qualities of leadership:

Just great. Another fucking list.

Qualities of leadership: what the past can tell us about, warn us about, prod us to think about.

Forget grammar, that doesn’t even make the slightest syntactical sense! And if those were the conclusions of the panel...well, "first-class" and "thought leaders" might be a tad exaggerated.

What great art – whether opera, symphonic music, great theatre or inspired painting – can help us to understand about our own lives and our own times:

Will our author give us another list, or is he just feigning? Vote now.

…isn’t that a timely and relevant conversation [...]?

Sorry, you clearly voted incorrectly. Please try new, more certain, leadership. Definitely delete. Obviously not Mozart. Patently an error. Irrefutably 404. Indubitably.

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Positive New Music Criticism!

Hey! Some people do like new music! This is a pleasant review of what sounds like a good concert. The opening sentence draws you in…

Salonen and company triumph in a far-reaching MusicNOW program

A funny thing can happen if you take a classical newbie to a MusicNOW concert.

I like where this is going. What is that funny thing?

Now in its 10th year, the new music series challenges most preconceptions by having (living!)

Good heavens!

composers present their works to an audience and then even mingle with listeners afterward. A sense of worship is replaced with the spirit of camaraderie.

That sounds outstanding. This mingling element is a fantastic part of the new breed of contemporary concerts. I recommend this. Is that the funny thing? Camaraderie? Because…you brought a newbie? No, that’s not it.

Add in the sleek contemporary space of the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, and classical music gets a complete image makeover.

This “complete image makeover” is slightly exaggerated, but I approve of the sentiment.

So, what’s the funny thing that can happen when you take a “classical newbie” to such an event? Is it the image makeover? Because that doesn’t seem predicated on whether you bring someone or not.

On Monday night, there was much to gain from witnessing first-hand newer works by composers Esa-Pekka Salonen, Oliver Knussen and Rolf Wallin. CSO Mead composer-in-residence Mark-Anthony Turnage hosted a far-reaching program that included fragments of a David Lynch-like horror (by Wallin) and a contemporary take on Stravinsky's "A Soldier's Tale" (by Salonen).

That sounds interesting! I would like to see this concert.

Wallin's "LautLeben" (1999) was conceptually the evening's most unique creation. This daring electronic multimedia work comes from the school of Stockhausen, but takes enough risks to make its headmaster seem like Shirley Temple.

More risks than putting a string quartet in four helicopters?

Jazz soprano Sidsel Endresen, like Wallin a Norwegian (and who collaborated with him on the work), soloed in a way that Wallin described as if "her voice was traveling inside herself." Technology contorted her vocals around electronic tapes playing spastic throat calls and vertiginous squeals. An enormous screen behind the soprano projected glowing images that radiated delicately in the pitch-black theater.

I know it’s hyperbole, but that sounds like a lot of multimedia works. Which is fine, but not particularly “daring”. Small point.

So spacey was the work that Endresen had to inform the audience it was over, but she captivated nonetheless.

Sounds like she was very good. You might want to avoid the passive voice, though. However: I’m still waiting for the funny thing that can happen!

Back on earth, Knussen's short chamber symphony, "Songs Without Voices" (1992), scored for eight instrumentalists, revealed a more conventional work. Amy Dissanayake's liquid pianism and near perfect touch went a long way with CSO cellist Jonathan Pegis' effortless vibrato. Thorny harmonies crept in and out, but this was a seductive romance at its core.

Thorny harmonies might scare the “newbie”! That’s not the funny thing, is it? Because I think it's kind of funny.

Salonen, the veteran music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, had just come off a busy weekend guest-conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Mozart's Mass and Knussen's Violin Concerto. When he moves on from the L.A. Philharmonic in 2009, he plans to devote more time to composing.

Salonen's "Catch and Release" (2006) is a rapidly changing, small-scale gem which provided poignant solos from CSO violinist Nancy Park and trombonist Charles Vernon. The maturity apparent in the last movement's brisk and bracing rhythms attested to a composer first, conductor second.

That sounds cool, too! I like his conducting but only know a little of his music. Now, you’re done describing all of the works. You can totally concentrate on telling me about that funny thing…the thing? That you described in your first sentence?

The article’s over?

(sigh)