Nakahara the Magnificent!

First came the “Magnificent Seven,” candidates for leadership of the South Carolina Philharmonic. Now there is one: Morihiko Nakahara.

Why all the fuss about conductors, anyway?

“The basic technique of conducting can be learned in a few lessons,” writes Nicholas Slonimsky reassuringly, in his slightly irreverent “Lectionary of Music.” He later adds that a conductor’s “prime duty is to translate the written notes in an orchestral score into an effective panorama of sound, faithfully rendering the composer’s creative designs.”

Hmmmmm. Seems like the job just got more difficult.

“The art of conducting is unique in that it requires the musical, psychological, and intellectual ability to coordinate the instruments and voices in such a way as to create a perfect euphony of the ensemble incorporating a great variety of dynamic nuances and timbres, and to maintain a balance of contrapuntal components within the general harmonic framework and the animating flow of propulsive rhythm.”

Let’s see, “perfect euphony,” dynamic nuances,” “contrapuntal components;” think we’ll need a few more lessons.

But Morihiko Nakahara is there. In my review of the concert he led with the S.C. Philharmonic last October, I observed that he created “Quietly sensuous sonic atmospheres contrasted with orchestral intensity seldom heard at the Koger Center.” I also noted that he “is an exhilarating leader with convincing musical ideas. His physical gestures handsomely reflect the character of the music, and when required, generate enormous energy and intensity.”

Did the other candidates fail to do this? Honestly, several of them succeeded magnificently too, and we could argue over the degree of each success. But at the April 21st news conference, everyone was unanimous that, as only the second candidate to come to town, Nakahara had set the standard the others had to match. Did other candidates generate “enormous energy and intensity?” Yes, two or three others did, in my opinion. Were they “exhilarating leaders with convincing musical ideas?’ Sure. So why Mr. Nakahara?

Because there’s more to the job these days, and in fact there always has been. But let’s go back to the rationale verbalized by SC Phil staff. Executive Director Rhonda Hunsinger called him the “unanimous first choice.” Gail Morrison, chair of the search committee, said that Nakahara “set the bar” by which others were judged.

By the way, Hunsinger and Morrison are to be complimented for setting their own bar for the selection process high, and making this a true competition. Along with the many complexities of making the concert season run smoothly for the orchestra, they had to deal with arrangements and temperaments of seven high-strung guest conductors. No small task, probably.

Speaking of tasks, the modern music director surely must be about “coordinating the instruments” and “perfect euphony,” but there are additional matters of budget, personnel, meeting the needs of the musicians, community presence, building bridges between performers, audience and supporters, and especially programming. Is this something new? Absolutely not. Handel (composer and impresario as well as conductor) did it all, and changed direction several times, moving to London, focusing on Italian opera, then English oratorio, and instrumental music. He had to eat, and if the public wasn’t buying tickets to what he was presenting on stage, he changed.

Mozart is another great example, spending much of his life unsuccessfully trying to get a court appointment, going on long performance tours with his father, finally breaking out on his own in Vienna, papa always cajoling and complaining. But remember that Handel and Mozart kept the standards very, very high as they adapted to the vagaries of the public. Nakahara must do that as well, even if he only has the conductor part to worry about. Nice that he doesn’t have to compose the music in addition to wielding the baton, or sell the tickets and set up chairs and stands.

How will he do as a lightening rod for the Philharmonic, filling the seats, rallying the sponsors? Board president Robert Stepp called him the “perfect person to take us forward musically.” Clearly, all parties concerned think he has the energy, persona and leadership skills necessary to build orchestra quality, attract audiences and be a magnet to current and potential new supporters.

I don’t know much about those things, but in matters of programming and audience, if we’ve learned anything from Nicholas Smith’s last season and the one just ended, it is that many in the audience have moved on from the warhorse programming of the past. Smith’s gutsy performance of Lutoslawski’s Concerto for Orchestra must have broadsided some in the audience (and some in the orchestra), but give him high marks for the courage of his musical convictions.

Nakahara’s “Last Round” by Golijov was a bold choice, though fairly safe because it was so novel and had a good story, but give him high marks also for an attractive and challenging choice for his audition.

In the end, programming may boil down to give-and-take between Maestro, management and money. I’m no insider with the SC Phil, but my guess is that previous boards rode herd on programming choices heavily. (If I’m wrong, my apologies.) But the point is that much of the programming of the last ten years merely looked good on paper. Perhaps it looked good only because it looked familiar.

I say trust our new Maestro. He has no interest in messing things up. Allow his artistic instincts and creativity to prevail. Take advantage of his intelligence and personal warmth. Seek creative outlets in which to show him to the community and vice versa. But don’t expect very much from the broadcast media. They have other agendas and will only be interested in him as a novelty, although that may be of some help. Morihiko Nakahara is a man of substance and the media is especially bored with anything of substance, or a message that lasts more than 60 seconds.

Let the community meet him in person. He has a winning personality, and my experience is that people are genuinely intrigued when they meet a real, live individual of artistic substance.

Yes, America is awash in trivial music, but the South Carolina Philharmonic is not about trivia. The Philharmonic can proudly promote Mr. Nakahara as a genuine artist of merit as well as a nice guy (which he is). Allow him reasonable license to bring great music to Columbia.

Isn’t that the reason everyone went to so much trouble?

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Every person who has contributed to this blog has commented on how much better the orchestra sounded this season. Though I zinged the group a time or two this season, I join with the others in applauding its musical and sonic improvements. Will we ever have a group as good as the National Symphony that played the Koger this season? Probably not anytime soon. The NSO was actually not all that good until fairly recently, but they certainly are now. My university students were absolutely stunned by the accuracy, the amazing volume and intensity of sound, and the musical energy.

Speaking of students, the educational role of well-established orchestras is vigorous and profound. The educational role of struggling ones is often puny and the first to go in an emergency. Columbia has some unique opportunities, with the USC School of Music next door, the USC String Project across the street, and zillions of public school band and orchestra members only minutes away. Educators who are responsible for music education in the various districts might want to get in touch with the Philharmonic office, with their own ideas. Nakahara is said to be interested in educational outreach. I hope the music education community tests him.

It will be interesting to get a sense of the sound Nakahara will try to get from his forces, how he will manipulate their efforts to a common goal. Will he go for a bold, resonant sound, or a more tightly focused sound emphasizing clarity? Or will we hear some of both, or another approach that hasn’t come to mind? And how will economic realities affect his plans? The big, bold Philadelphia sound isn’t possible with eleven first violins and even fewer seconds. With the price of fuel (and now food) soaring, will the audience be further squeezed down?

No one knows of course, but I like my wife’s clear view of the unknown: plan for success. Nothing else makes sense. Except be ready for anything.

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In addition to thanking Hunsinger and Morrison for making the conductor search a vital and important event for this community, allow me to thank a few others who contributed to its success:

MARK LAYMAN at “The State” made this blog happen. While visits and postings were fewer than we hoped, perhaps the missing links in the online edition were partially to blame. And perhaps numbers don’t tell the whole story. I wish more musicians would have jumped in with their perspective, but I know how busy they are and maybe they were not comfortable voicing opinions as the search was underway. Mark also gets my thanks for keeping the SC Phil reviews going during difficult fiscal times when every dollar spent comes under close scrutiny. I have asked Mark to keep the blog running through next season, but don’t know how that will turn out. If anyone cares to weigh in about this, please do so.

JEFFREY DEY also at “The State” contributed quality reporting in print and on this blog. The word just doesn’t get out in these matters unless somebody gets it out, and Jeffrey did all that and more.

THE SC PHILHARMONIC STAFF allowed me to visit and report on each conductor’s first rehearsal, and that gave me a sense of what each candidate was trying to do in their allotted time. The staff also provided invaluable press information on each, and details about their musical choices.

THE MUSICIANS OF THE ORCHESTRA who worked extra hard at rehearsals, practiced more before each, and delivered more excitement and bravura at the concerts. Yes, there was a difference this year. It was all to the good and as apparent to the eye as to the ear. The audiences picked up on it, were more enthusiastic, and my, think how important that is! Special mention must go to Concertmaster MARY LEE TAYLOR; her hard work consistently energized the string section and often the whole ensemble. At the end of Golijov’s aforementioned musical fistfight, “Last Round,” it was Taylor’s bow hand that deserved to be raised in victory.

Gregory Barnes