I think everyone knows the topic by now, or if not, just feed "blog, trombone, kaplan, mahler" into your favorite search engine and you will be on top of the issue in a couple of seconds. It is about a few players in the NY Phil becoming vocal about their dislike of mediocre conductors like the self-made Mahler expert, multi-millionaire Gilbert Kaplan.

After reading a dozen blogs about the "problem" it just made me highly amused. I have seen Kaplan's conducting on YouTube, and he does not seem to be the most disastrous guy up there. I listened his interview with Charlie Rose and he showed knowledge of the psychological problems in conducting that even many professionals are completely unaware of. He knows the score of the Mahler 2nd intimately and no orchestra can claim he came to the rehearsal unprepared (which sometimes happens even to the best of us due to pressed schedules).

One commentator ranted about the traditional "good old way" of years of instrumental study coupled with conducting study, earning your spurs in a provincial orchestra, or as an assistant, or an opera coach, before proving yourself and gradually getting into the "big circuit". He blamed Kaplan for bypassing all this just for the virtue of his big bucks. He could hire a teacher, buy an orchestra and make his debut after just seven months of study!

Well, all I can say is that in this day and age that seems the way to go. There are many young conductors in the circuit now who instead of years of study were "discovered" by some big name, and could also skip the "boring part" of studying the craft altogether. Their careers are boosted by family money, sponsor money, or even government money! I wish it was otherwise, but it's not a fair world, not in arts, especially not in music, and totally not in conducting.

There's one strong argument for Kaplan, regardless of his talents or lack of them, and that is that he comes with his own publicity machine. Kaplan is always a sure sell because he has a compelling story behind him and thus his performance of his only repertoire piece always becomes an event. Any orchestra that accepts him secures a sold-out concert and during these economically insecure times it is something orchestras do need to think of - especially in US where the governmental funding is marginal!