i don’t know but i been told
One of the other American critics to cover La Scala’s HD Transmission of Carmen, Sarah Bryan Miller of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, shared our own squirrel’s view of the production. But she had some help from her friends at the “Associated Press and elsewhere.”
Not only did Reporter Bryan Miller leave mid-broadcast out of sheer boredom, but she reviewed it anyway – and admits it in her piece!
Cher public, be glad your trustworthy reviewers here at parterre.com would never never let you down like that.
Reviewing a performance is work. It may be fun work but just because it can be very enjoyable doesn’t mean that it’s not work. So, you’re bored? Tough luck! You stay and do your job. Sheesh!
Exactly. And the boredom excuse is unaccountable – if she were a real journalist, she would have been able to amuse herself in the last half coming up with more things to say in her article.
At the very least, she could have amused herself in the tearoom. Do women have tearooms?
Haha Sanford get your mind out of Wagner’s Ring!
Leaving mid-performance is also a comment – the proverbial vote with one’s feet.
But not for a journalist on the job. Better to stay and then write a withering piece on authority. She could even write that she would have liked to have walked out, like x% the audience did.
Sorry to be personal – but are you the Violetta who has had a D.Pensateci-ctomy?
OK sorry to be dense, but could you explain your reference, please.
Also, staying and reporting on what % of the audience did walk out would have had far more authority than one dilettant writer’s whim.
Ah yes – but is she a dilettante or a professional journalist?
Certainly not a professional.
My apologies – there used to be a Violetta D. Pensateci (“Violetta Deh Pensateci” – Act II of Traviata) who was a contributor to this blog, who is obviously not the same person as your good self, so please forgive my comment
Some years ago the then music critic of the Yorkshire Post, a British regional morning newspaper of distinguished reputation but small circulation, reviewed a piano recital at the Leeds Musical Festival in appropriately magesterial style. Some things were good, others less so… Unfortunately for him the pianist under review cancelled on the day and a substitute artist played an entirely different programme! The critic was not popular with his editor and his “retirement” followed shortly!
Ms Bryan Miller and I seem to agree about Barenboim. Shame about her spelling, though.’Inadvertantly’ [sic].
Though I live in Santa Fe, for forty-five years I lived in St. Louis and if I may, let me offer a comment on Sarah Bryan Miller. First of all, she is entirely a professional and for many years has done a competent job of reporting on the St. Louis Symphony and Opera Theatre of St. Louis — she’s not a high stylist, and I don’t always agree with her, but she’s a professional. In earlier days she appeared now and then as commentator on Met Opera broadcast intermissions and she was acceptable. My view of the Carmen matter is if you make it clear when you leave, then you are entirely in order to report on only part of a performance — I have zero problem with that, and have done it myself with editorial support.
Regarding press in St. Louis there have been big changes. Some years back the Pulitzers sold off the Post-Dispatch to an Iowa-based newspaper chain, and the venerable old PD is no longer what we all knew and respected. It is just a wisp of its former self and most long-sanding staff were dropped. I am pleasantly surprised SBM is still there, so someone must recognize the value of the symphony and opera to the community and it is good the present day shred of the PD keeps reporting on them. I would not expect much else by way of musical arts coverage however. The St. Louis Beacon, an on-line journal, has somewhat picked up on that matter. From what I have gathered about the La Scala Carmen, seems to me SBM is on target and is behaving professionally. May I suggest you leave the lady alone. She may not be your cup of tea, but she is legitimate.
I meant this reviewer was very unprofessional in a figurative sense. No doubt she was paid for her compilation. Interestingly an amateur blog reviewer would never think of cutting such corners, not least because they’d be called on it by a savvy Cher Public, but also for actual love of the art.
And people wonder why print journalism is struggling so!
Well, the reviewer got herself off on a technicality. At least she didn’t misrepresent what she did and how long she stayed, which is really sleazy.
But , sorry, I don’t think “boring” is a valid reason for a reviewer to walk out of a performance.
She is , nominally, professional and is being paid for her work. If I buy a ticket, I can walk out. But at work, I can’t say, sorry, I’m bored, I want to go home early. The response would be, ok, so you won’t get paid for that time.