Philadelphia Orchestra: The old vs. the new

Was the Philadelphia Orchestra really "the world's greatest orchestra," as it was billed when I arrived in Philadelphia as a Penn freshman in 1960? Is the Philadelphia Orchestra today not even deserving of inclusion among the top 20, as a panel of international critics assembled by Gramophone magazine recently concluded?

Such rankings are no doubt important to musicians and critics. For the rest of us, they're probably irrelevant. Orchestras, I submit, are much like restaurants: Their appeal depends upon the taste of the beholder as well as their performance on a given night. In food as in music, I look for sublime experiences— and what works for me won't necessarily work for anyone.

This past weekend's Orchestra concert was one such occasion. The program offered familiar and much beloved works by Beethoven and Brahms. The Orchestra itself, under the patient and gentle guidance of Donald Runnicles, was in fine form. So was the exquisitely talented German violinist Christian Tetzlaff. And as an added bonus, seated within Verizon Hall were two figures who, to my mind, epitomize the old Orchestra and the new.

Billy de Pasquale: Pros and cons

Sitting on the aisle downstairs, attired as elegantly as he ever was on stage, was the Orchestra's retired associate concertmaster, William de Pasquale. De Pasquale joined the Orchestra in 1963, and for more than 40 years thereafter he represented both the best and the worst aspects of the old Ormandy Orchestra of blessed memory. That is, de Pasquale was the consummate professional, flawlessly executing every complex work presented to him, and unfailingly subordinating his ego to the institutional needs of the exalted musical priesthood worshipped by young Philadelphians like me.

On the other hand, through all those years de Pasquale rarely betrayed, either by facial expression or body language, any hint that he was moved by the music he was playing. If he was happy to be performing as opposed to, say, working in a bank, de Pasquale didn't let on.

Joyful music, joyful cellist

By contrast, consider the Orchestra's current young assistant principal cello, Yumi Kendall, a woman who really gets into the music. When the sound is joyful, she's happy; when it shifts into a minor key, she's sad. When the Orchestra pulls off an especially challenging or uplifting phrase, she grins at the accomplishment. If de Pasquale was the Orchestra's equivalent of the phlegmatic Joe Dimaggio, Kendall is the equivalent of the engaging Charles Barkley. It's a pleasure to watch her; bring your binoculars next time and see for yourself.

Now, is Yumi Kendall's Philadelphia Orchestra better than Billy de Pasquale's? Again, this is like asking: Is my spouse better than yours? De Pasquale's Orchestra worked very well for me when I was younger and in need of musical authority figures to look up to. Kendall's works for me now, when I perceive an orchestra as a human institution. I wouldn't presume to judge what works for you.♦


To read a response by Dan Coren, click here.
To read a response by Nathan Sivin, click here.
To read other responses, click here and here and here.