So depressing is this email I received from the Philadelphia Orchestra yesterday. In the subject line, “A music-filled summer awaits!” Then I open it, and I see a photo of the Mann Music Center with more bodies strewn about the lawn than at the railroad station converted into a makeshift hospital in “Gone with the Wind.”

Scrolling down, there are capsules promoting the season-ending concert performances of “La bohème” at the Kimmel, the free neighborhood concerts, consisting mostly of excerpts from larger works (interesting repertoire admittedly – neglected Black composers – but why not show them the respect to play the music complete?), the summer festivals in Vail, Colorado, and Saratoga, New York, and a “summer residency” at the Mann.

What exactly does the summer residency entail? “…[C]lassical favorites by Gershwin and Tchaikovsky as well as hits by indie/roots band DISPATCH and Grammy Award-winner Beck. Plus… the first Philadelphia Orchestra live-score performances of two iconic films: ‘Batman’ and Disney’s ‘Aladdin.’”

Honey, bring me the smelling salts!

I know I posted about this last year, but this email is such a sad reminder. TWO orchestral concerts at the Mann – all summer – by the Philadelphia Orchestra. And they’re pitched right down the middle. I understand they want to appeal to as broad an audience as possible, but really? Is this what the orchestra now perceives as a music-filled summer?

But what are they going to do, say they know it isn’t much, but it’s what we’ve got, so enjoy it? Whoever wrote the press release probably wasn’t even born back when the orchestra really was offering a music-filled summer.

I hate to come across as the guy sitting in the back of his Rolls eating Grey Poupon out of the glove compartment, but time was when the orchestra used to play the Mann multiple nights a week (with the weekends reserved for popular bands). It looks like my description from last year (triggered by the death of André Watts) pretty much holds: “Now you’re lucky if they appear there three times in a summer, and then it’s usually to accompany a film or play the ‘1812 Overture.’”

Nobody had cell phones back in the day, either. But come to think of it, there always were some who treated the music as background to their inane picnic conversation. I guess people always were pretty much insufferable.

But in terms of the musical offerings, we never knew how good we had it. Or maybe we did, but we never thought it would go away.

My reminiscences, from last year, below.