Mourning the Loss of the Symphony

“Grand Tier.”

“Dress Circle.”

“Balcony Circle.”

And as the elevator approached its final destination in the San Francisco Opera House for a symphony concert, the gentle, white-haired man in the gray suit would allow his whimsical smile to erupt as he delivered his favorite line to the remainder of his riders. “Now for the true lovers of music, may I present: the balcony.”

With our student-discounted tickets, we would stream from the elevator accompanied by elderly ladies in their time-worn furs clutching opera glasses, along with elated guests who had managed to secure a last-minute ticket, and the first-time visitors questioning whether the sound would be heard at that height.

There was a magical aura surrounding that balcony. There, one could witness the student with the complete score in his lap “playing along” with the soloist. We, in those lofty regions, greeted the musicians with respect and grand applause. Far below, artists played miniature instruments, and the music that drifted up to those elevated seats was pure joy. No one ever left before the last bow had been taken.

For my colleagues in the balcony, for all lovers of music, for those who have yet to experience the beauty of symphonic music, and for artists everywhere, I mourn the loss of a major orchestra in San Diego.

I mourn the loss of a symphony in America’s Finest City for all those involved in the production of cultural arts in our community. It has always appeared that artists enjoy a rich, supportive affiliation with one another. One only need glance about any audience of an art exhibit, theater presentation or musical offering to see familiar faces from across the disciplines. In any gathering, one can notice the actor who attended college with the performing oboe player, the artist who spent summers at the fine-arts camp with the ballet dancer on stage or the cellist who studied music with the performer in the famed musical trio. Perhaps the support and critique that artists lend one another assists in attaining a high quality of performance. San Diego has been fortunate to have its own orchestra, opera company, ballet groups, theater companies and art institutions. The subtraction of an orchestra will surely be felt in the arts community.

I mourn the loss of a symphony for all the children who will never make the journey to a Young People’s Concert. I have travelled on school buses with reluctant fifth-grade boys, whose mothers had signed them up for the concert, only to see them overwhelmed by the sound and precision of a full orchestra. Many a child’s hands have mimicked the movement of the conductor. Only last year, a little girl from Southeast San Diego, high in the balcony of Symphony Hall, slipped her hand in mine at the conclusion of the concert and asked, “Me traeras otra vez?” (Will you bring me again?)

I mourn the loss of an orchestra in San Diego for all the students of music in our community. Some years ago, I sat in on a rehearsal of an area-wide elementary school orchestra. Until that evening’s rehearsal, I had only heard our young son’s part--a series of bow movements across his half-size violin in a mixture of half-, quarter-, eighth-, and occasional sixteenth-notes. When the conductor, Edwin Janowsky, a retired member of both the San Diego Symphony and the school district, lifted his baton, the birth of orchestral music could be experienced. What occurred in that room was a blending of strings, percussion, woodwinds, brass and the hearts of young musicians. They would not all continue in their musical endeavors, but they had a community to support them if they chose to.

With the absence of an orchestra in San Diego, some of the musical atmosphere that has allowed local musicians to flourish will diminish. San Diego can proudly acknowledge Gustavo Romero, Frank Almond, Kenneth Bookstein, the three Coade sisters, Felix Fan and countless others who have been nurtured by the presence of the orchestra.

I mourn the loss of an orchestra in San Diego for our city of retirees and elderly who have benefited from visits to their retirement communities by members of the orchestra or who have had special transportation to downtown concerts. Sadly, for this group of musical devotees, time does not allow them the privilege of waiting to see what can develop.

I mourn the loss of an orchestra in San Diego as the concertgoer who could listen to Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” endlessly, believes Saint-Saen’s “The Swan” was written for the angels, is yet undecided between Brahms and Mendelssohn for the greatest violin concerto, and was finally beginning to appreciate Mahler.

San Diego is not unique in its problem with financing and supporting a major orchestra. Across the nation, symphonies and arts institutions that lack substantial endowments are experiencing the same pains. Joseph W. Polisi, president of the Juilliard School in New York, wrote recently of his concern for today’s student who must “present his or her art to a diverse audience composed of few persons who believe art is an integral part of the fabric of the culture of our world.”

Some dismiss society’s present state as that of a “Walkman World” and believe we will never again enjoy the cultural harvests of past generations. Having observed many aspiring musicians, dancers, actors and artists, I believe the future is bright. I prefer to view society as one in a transitional state, learning to adjust to advanced technology, computers, changes in familial structures and an ever-present concern for the ills of the world. More than any previous generation, our children will warrant music, art, theater and dance to augment their lives.

I am not content to believe that interest in classical music is waning in San Diego. If it were, how would one explain the overflow audience at the recent Romero-Almond Concert at First Presbyterian Church, the immediate sell-outs of concerts by the Borodin Trio and Toyko String Quartet, the capacity crowd at the December offering of the Brandenburg Concertos and the overwhelming response of San Diegans to the recent concert by members of the San Diego Symphony and the San Diego Master Chorale?

In this rapidly growing metropolis, there will be an ever-growing need for the arts. Seeking the assistance of other cities that have found new means of marketing their symphonic orchestras could be a beginning. Rather than allowing these gifted musicians to leave our city, could we not seek the expertise of those who may know a way to reach all segments of the community?

Alas, there is a price paid when we descend from the lofty heights of the balcony to the seats below. It is called reality: The reality that the music--and all the arts--can only be presented with solid funding, good management and community support. Down near the orchestra, reality has a tendency to make the music seem muffled. Perhaps we should all venture up to the balcony one more time and recall how beautiful the sound was at that elevation and how dreadful the silence will be.