Adieu Andante

I was a big fan of Andante.com and subscribed to it for several years. About a year ago I noticed that the news stories began getting stale and the content old. I even expressed my frustration on this blog a year ago I gave up my subscription some months ago after patiently waiting for its revival.

Now it is gone and I'm sorry. Anne Midgette comments about this in the NY Times but places a more positive spin on the outlook for classical music on the internet.

I still think that time will tell. Andante's business model was never secure and it seemed to me that the potential return never exceeded the investment. It was a high-class operation, with some wonderful content. But I could never quite see how to make it pay. Their record label (featuring top-notch historic reissues) started out initially overpriced, later adjusted, but never had the volume that would seem to help support a venture such as Andante.com was.

Digital downloads certainly have some potential (the NY Philharmonic has just announced such an agreement), but those who have used the BBC Beethoven Symphony experiment as a model for the success of such ventures miss the point. The enormous download numbers perhaps point to possible untapped audiences, but one must remember two things: 1) the downloads were free. Lots of people will take advantage of a free offer, no matter what the product 2) Downloading a symphony does not mean that it was listened to. I have the last 4 symphonies sitting on my desktop, but have only venture to listen to one of them. One day I'll clear off my computer desktop and away will go the symphonies, unheard. I imagine that many downloaded the files, knowing it was free and taking advantage of the offer. But until we can track how many listened to the files and how many times, we have only a fraction of the story.

Opening Night

Our opening night was last Saturday and it was everything that one hopes it will be.

I've heard some of our patrons say that they when the run of the opera is long (in this case 13 performances) they prefer to go to a later show, once the singers have settled in. They feel that it will be more polished. That is one way of looking at, but I think you also miss the electricity of an opening night performance. There is a certain extra energy exuded when one knows that it is the first time with a live audience. Also there is a risk that later in the run, performances can become a little stale.

In any case I think that both are valid experiences. Our Saturday night performance (La bohème) had the benefit of being well-rehearsed (we typically rehearse more than most regional companies) and yet there was an electricity. The audience repsonded in kind.

For me it was my first time in working on a production from the other side of the foolights. I have to admit (and believe I've said as much here) that it is a bittersweet experience. In this case, I covered Rodolfo and performed in the chorus of a previous production with this company. I miss that experience and frankly don't find my new one as fulfilling. On the other hand I do get a thrill in knowing that I'm helping to make an environment for other artists to thrive.

Some of my colleagues have congratulated me because many of our houses are all ready sold-out. But I think it was Puccini, the singers, a great conductor and production that did that. I just needed to help make sure that the right people knew it was happening. They did and continue to (tickets are selling well). Ultimately it is the quality of the performance that keeps them buying tickets. Nothing is easier to sell than a great product.