It is frustrating.....

I remember reading Riner was almost mean as a snake. Well apparently, that's what it took to get the desired performance.My favorite conductors are mostly the old guys, from the 40s/50s/60s/. Sort of how free agency has changed all of sports. Too much $$$;not enough personal caring for the "whole" Hard to get good team players these days.

I'll take two tickets. And Oh, can I sleep on your couch? [:)]

Ikarus, I feel as you do, however I doggedly keep on going to concerts, because I want to always refresh the imprint of the real thing in my mind and soul in order to keep the memory fresh for the goal I try to tweak for.

Amen Jsbail, there is plenty of wonderful and inpassioned music making taking place; particularly in NYC. One has to be willing to venture beyond the more familiar venues, but even in those, great music making takes place on a regular basis. Don't you guys (and ladies) ever go to American Composers Orchestra concerts at Carnegie Hall. Very interesting and challenging stuff and beautifuly played by the best musicians in NYC, particularly when conducted by Dennis Russell Davies, a brilliant and inspired maestro. Most performances at the Met particularly under Levine are fabulous in my opinion. There is really interesting change happening at the NYC Ballet, I encourage those who in the past found that orchestra lackluster to give them another chance. The Brooklyn Phil under Spano is giving some at times electrifying performances. And let's not forget our neighbor the NJ Symphony under Macal, really good stuff. Check out some of the smaller ensembles such as EOS (across the street from Lincoln Center at the Society for Ethical Culture); truly innovative programming and vibrant playing. Merkin Hall regularly offers fascinating programming by some of the most interesting chamber ensembles around, like Speculum Musicae, Met Orchestra ensembles, and others. As far as jazz and other improvisatory music there is always great stuff going on in NYC. The Knitting Factory, Small's, the Village Vanguard always has great artists featured. As far as the NY Phil goes, I assure you the vast majority of the players care very deeply about what they do. Yes it is true that at times the performances leave much to be desired but classical music (any worthwhile music for that matter) is under attack by the electronic dreck that passes for music these days. The music and it's practitioners need the support of the public not the condescension that seems at times to be in vogue. Why that is I'm not sure but I suspect that in part it is due to the possibility that the pursuit of audio perfection in the home has caused some to feel somewhat uninvolved during the live music experience. Some of the "attributes" of far too many "audiophile" systems are in fact distortions in my experience. There will never be substitutes for some of the great artists of the past; just as there will never be a substitute for the sound of live music.

I will be printing and saving your post Jlggomez, thanks.

One more frustrating thing managements are doing around the country is classifying "cross-over" artists in with the classical artists. I fully support Mark O'Conner and Bobby McFerrin's right to perform their art, but IMHO they are POPs concerts and do not belong in my subscription. The first thing I do when I get my subscription in the mail each year is exchange them away before they even print the tickets for the season. It's strange because most POPs schedules are the same old thing (mostly show tunes) and including these in the POPs series would do more to introduce the POPs crowd to something "more classical" instead of annoying the classical crowd. Bobby McFerrin is very talented, but paying money to hear him HUM Mozart Serenades just does not cut it for me.