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Thursday, September 6, 2007
Pavarotti’s Outrageous Best
Classical Con Blasto blog
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s funny how superstardom operates, isn’t it? First the artist works hard, pays attention to craft, builds a resume of transcendent accomplishments, finds a unique presence. Then, as glaring fame approaches, the gears shift and the art and craft is gradually replaced with schlocky pandering to an attention-deficit mass audience.
That was the case with the great Luciano Pavarotti, whose staggering vocal charisma — pre-Three Tenors — can be heard in a 1979 “La Boheme” in this YouTube video from 1979, conducted by the elusive genius Carlos Kleiber. Follow the links on the YouTube page and you can watch most of Act 1. Amazing singing, superlative conducting.
Also, the good folks at WABE (90.1-FM and www.wabe.org) just sent me word that tonight at 8 p.m. they’ll broadcast a two-hour tribute to Pavarotti from “Performance Today.”
5 p.m. Update: The Atlanta Opera writes: General Director Dennis Hanthorn was interviewed on CNN International this afternoon at 3:12 pm (to be exact). I’m trying to get a copy of the interview and will certainly share when I get it. He was interviewed by Stephen Frazier on the World News show and was commenting on Pavorotti’s death and what Pavarotti meant to the opera industry. Very exciting for us…”
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ASO Hires Concert Promoter
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hoping to draw more lucrative acts to Chastain Park Amphitheatre, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra has signed an exclusive, multi-year agreement with Live-360, an Indianapolis-based concert promoter that will replace the ASO’s in-house booking agent.
Live-360 also will be the sole booker for the ASO’s Verizon Wireless Amphitheater at Encore Park, a 12,000-seat pavilion in the northern suburb of Alpharetta, scheduled to open next May.
ASO President Allison Vulgamore describes the new agreement as “a chance to give our audiences a tremendous synergy of both Chastain and Verizon Wireless [amphitheater], a chance to leverage our booking muscle.”
Although a Live-360 consultant will work out of the ASO’s offices in the Woodruff Arts Center, Vulgamore adds that “the ASO isn’t giving up its responsibility for the tone and success of both venues, each with its distinct character.”
Industry analysts were surprised by the announcement, which could result in higher earnings for the ASO pops programs while watering down its unique profile.
The move eliminates the job of the ASO’s director of presentations, Rudy Schlagel, who in the past dozen years was nationally credited as one of the most successful pops and rock promoters working for an orchestra. Schlagel was also responsible for ASO pops in Symphony Hall, a role that remains vacant.
“Rudy’s time at the orchestra is coming to a close,” said Vulgamore. “He’s certainly welcome to be here with us the rest of this week.” Schlagel declined to comment for this article.
The booking-agent reorganization for Chastain is the ASO’s latest effort to improve its financial picture. With just a third of the money raised, the orchestra has shut down its campaign to build a $300 million concert hall in Midtown.
Now the ASO is addressing its rivalry with Live Nation, the country’s dominant concert and events promoter, which also books shows for the Chastain stage at the city-of-Atlanta-owned outdoor venue. (ASO-sponsored events are called “Classic Chastain.”)
Live-360? Live Nation? If those names confuse folks who simply want to enjoy a summertime Jimmy Buffett concert, the tangled history of both concert-promotion companies is positively Byzantine.
Live Nation, based in California, had been managed by Dave Lucas and owned by Clear Channel, the media conglomerate.
“Their hope was to find great synergies between [Live Nation’s] concerts and [Clear Channel’s] radio stations, which didn’t happen,” says Gary Bongiovanni, editor in chief of PollStar, which tracks concert trends and earnings.
Lucas wasn’t able to produce the earnings Clear Channel wanted, says Bongiovanni, and eventually the corporate giant sold Live Nation at a considerable loss. Live Nation is now a free-standing, publicly traded company.
Lucas, meanwhile, left the company and in 2004 founded Live-360, staffing it with former Clear Channel employees. Atlanta will be the company’s largest market.
“Dave Lucas is a very savvy guy,” Bongiovanni offers. “The only odd thing about his Atlanta Symphony connection is that he’s out of Indianapolis.”
Permalink | | Categories: Classical Music
