Is it really worth while?

I am an enthusiastic listener of classical music and, putting aside all the crap that's uploaded there, I love the youtube web site because there you can find some gems that are extremely difficult to come across otherwise. The other day, for example, I stumbled upon a collection of HD video clips where I found one of my favourite pieces: Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in E-flat major, K. 364 (320d). The performance was quite good, with perfect image and sound. Since this is not an easy piece to find, even in CDs, I thought it was nice to share it with my two children who, happily, also like classical music. I sent the link to both of them via email. After a day or so, I received a reaction from my daughter: "Strange, there are no women in this orchestra".

The clip was with the VPO (Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra), conducted by Riccardo Muti, with Gidon Cremer (violin) and Yuri Bashmet (viola) as soloists. I tried to explain to my daughter that this was a known fact, that the VPO does not take women in their ranks. I have always despised this policy and never truly had this orchestra in my heart, despite the fact that it is considered to be one of the finest in the world. Moved by curiosity, triggered by my daughter's quick reaction, I decided then to do a little research on the VPO to try to understand a bit better the reasons behind their strange policy.

It appears that the "all-men" policy was true until 1997, and currently the orchestra boasts four (!) women in their ranks. Big deal, the women have now a representation of 3% of the players! This is an improvement, but a very tiny step toward what we see in other prominent ensembles. Besides that, there seems to be heavy criticism and claims implying that the orchestra does not accept members belonging to ethnic minorities. Although applicants to the orchestra are asked to play their auditions behind a screen, when they are revealed to the eyes of the jury their appearance is of major importance. Thus, there is a story going around about an applicant that qualified himself as the best and, as the screen was raised, the jury discovered he was a Japanese. The musician was not engaged, because "his face did not fit with the Pizzicato-Polka of the New Year's Concert"!

More recently, in 2003, Yasuto Sugiyama, a world-class tubist from the New Japan Philharmonic, was hired.  From the beginning, it appears that Mr. Sugiyama’s appointment was controversial, creating problems within the brass section.  Mysteriously, he was told that he did not pass his trial year at the State Opera (mandatory) and was fired.  Soon afterwards, the same Mr. Sugiyama won the tuba audition for the Cleveland Orchestra, one of the leading American orchestras known, among other things, for its impeccable brass section!

Someone connected to the orchestra (no names here) tried to explain that their profession "makes family life extremely difficult, so for a woman it’s almost impossible". Even in 1987, when he said that, this reasoning was already ridiculous. He claimed also that there are many orchestras with women, so why not having an orchestra with only men? And he goes on with even more ridiculous assertions that a woman shouldn't play like a man, but like a woman, whatever this may be.

However, the rigid policies of the VPO go beyond male chauvinistic rules. In the string section, for example, the instruments belong to the orchestra. Unlike other orchestras, they don't allow personal instruments. This, apparently, is to ensure the orchestra's unique string sound. But other famous orchestras such as the Concertgebouw of Amsterdam and the Cleveland Orchestra in the US, just to mention two, managed to have also a "unique sound" that is recognized and well-loved all over the world, without these constraints. So, what's the point?

In 2008, the British magazine Gramophone, one of the most prestigious publications in the genre, put up a panel of top international classical music critics together and ask them to come up with a list of the world's best orchestras. The Concertgebouw came first, followed by the Berlin Philharmonic in second place. Vienna ranked third. It is a darned good place, but they were nevertheless outclassed by two other ensembles with mixed participation. Was it really worth while all their fuss about keeping it only a men's club? Wouldn't they be able to be as good the "normal" way, like the others?

Anyway, ranking an orchestra is almost an absurd idea since listening to music is a highly subjective thing. All one can say is that there is a bunch of ten or so ensembles that consistently perform at the top level. For the rest, it's your personal taste and experience that makes you prefer one to the other. I have had myself wonderful experiences with the Concertgebouw playing Brahms and Mahler, Cleveland with Mozart, the Staatskapelle Dresden with Bruckner, St. Petersburg with Russian composers and the New York Philharmonic with American music. All these became my favourites...

The fact remains that the essential role of any orchestra is to promote music through its art and formation, thus becoming a symbol to all man and women, making music accessible at all social levels. It is an intellectual activity and, at least in this area, there should be no discrimination. Still, I agree that a woman's brain functions differently than ours. But in this case, I wholeheartedly join the French and shout: "vive la différence"! My experiences of working in a mixed environment were always excellent and, when a manager, I kept striving for a proper balance in my team, though not always successful because my profession, regrettably, does not seem to attract women...

Thomas Jefferson's famous phrase in the US Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal", is not politically correct anymore. We have come a long way since, and it should now read "all men and women are created equal". The VPO is a great orchestra, but so are 10 or 20 others, without applying absurd and rigid policies. The proud Austrian ensemble should join the 21st century and take part in the evolution of mankind. An orchestra is probably the best example of a large group of men and women getting together in peace and with discipline, to provide the public with one of the most beautiful achievements mankind has ever produced: music!