Chicago Opera Theater recently asked people to vote on which opera they would like to see the company perform during its 2011 season. Apparently, in order to cast a vote, you had to pay $1. This is the second time that the COT has tried this, and the winning opera (I'm assuming from a list of possibilities) is Shostakovich's "Moscow, Cheryomushki." Wow! That different! Here's a short account of the COT's unusual vote/fund raiser.
I'm wondering if the Oregon Symphony could try such a thing (assuming that its web site could handle the voting). You would pay to cast your vote for a piece on a particular program.
4 comments:
i would love to vote for pieces. here're a few faves:
+ Sibelius - "Tapiola"
+ Ligeti - "Violin Concerto"
+ Lutoslawski - "Cello Concerto" (Yo-Yo plays it)
+ Corigliano - "Clarinet Concerto" (his best piece)
+ Boulez - "Explosante-Fixe" (very "flute friendly")
+ Schnittke - "Concerto Grosso I" (2 violins shine)
+ Walton - "Symphony I" (AGAIN)
got more, not to worry . . .
i would vote for 'dr. atomic' and 'elektra' off the top of my head...
I don't know what's more gratifying--that the Shostakovich came in first or that Mozart finished last.
This kind of campaign worked for COT because the company has built its reputation on innovative marketing and programming ideas. Their audience also tends to be younger and more open to new repertoire than Lyric Opera's, which is most certainly why Capriccio snuffed out Magic Flute.
I'd love to see the OSO try a variation of this, maybe something like, "Which 20th-century concerto should we program?," or "Which Sibelius tone poem would you like to hear?".
Right, rather than have an open-ended list, the organization would probably have a list that voters could choose from
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