tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931942690068259127.post5075826551359908019..comments2024-01-12T07:25:33.861-08:00Comments on Bakersfield Observed: The real story behind the "retirement" of longtime symphony conductor John Farrer has yet to be told. And Uricchio's, Luigi's and Tahoe Joe's are big winners in a reader's pollRichardBeenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12542559942096218256noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931942690068259127.post-20829035579305704932013-05-02T20:10:23.447-07:002013-05-02T20:10:23.447-07:00First of all, the Rolling Stones still sell out on...First of all, the Rolling Stones still sell out on all their performances. Why? Because they know how to keep their music fresh and appealing to several generations, a fact that was clearly missed in the article. Years ago, under a different board and different symphony director, an effort was made to make the symphony format more appealing and more fun to a wider audience. It worked and subscriptions and attendance increased dramatically. Not acceptable to Mr. Farrer and his minion orchestra members who wanted a "pure", albeit, "sparsely attended" format, designed to satisfy the interests of the conductor and performers. Not surprising that attendance has declined to unacceptable numbers. What is surprising is that the Bakersfield symphony finally has a board with the courage to actually solve the problem. Classical music may well thrive in the Central Valley yet. Good luck!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931942690068259127.post-64207758333296772412013-05-02T14:04:43.011-07:002013-05-02T14:04:43.011-07:00John Farrer is a wonderful man and an excellent co...John Farrer is a wonderful man and an excellent conductor. I hate to see him go.<br /><br />But perhaps the problem with the BSO is their purest attitude with the concerts they put on. The solution could be to adopt a wider, more audience friendly appeal much like the Boston Pops. A night that would feature the music of John Williams, or the Lord of the Rings suite. Maybe a night that ties in rock music that has close associations with classical works like Emerson, Lake and Palmer or Pink Floyd. <br /><br />If you want to attract and educate a community about art, show them how closely the everyday things they love are related to the works of the great composers. HoppyHophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14508069201970726901noreply@blogger.com