Classical musicians suffer for their art — literally
MORE: Oscars 2014: Idina Menzel sings Oscar-winning ‘Let It Go’ from ‘Frozen’
Idina Menzel replaced by ‘Adele Dazeem’ in ‘If/Then’ playbill joke
Adele Dazeem (Idina Menzel) saluted at ‘The Book of Mormon’ (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Orlando Bloom, Joe Morton brighten TchaikovskyFest at Disney Hall
REVIEW: Tchaikovsky on a grand scale (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Barry Manilow’s ‘Harmony’ musical can sing but needs work (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Carlos Almaraz’s time is coming, nearly 30 years after death (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Hollywood’s Theatre Row sees exits stage right, left as scene changes
INTERACTIVE: Hollywood’s Theatre Row (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
More: Grammys 2014: Lang Lang performs ‘One’ with Metallica (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Review: Christopher Plummer, a man of letters, says ‘A Word or Two’ (Doriane Raiman / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: A poet embedded among troops lives to tell ‘An Iliad’ (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: New MOCA director Philippe Vergne is a museum veteran
New MOCA director Philippe Vergne plans an artist-enabling museum (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: A ‘Beautiful’ tapestry of Carole King’s life (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: L.A. Phil, Dudamel reinvigorate Tchaikovsky’s ‘Nutcracker’ (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Lively ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ make us believers again
MORE: Baddie role in ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ hooked John Sanders (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Totem’ a thrilling salute to human growth (Christina House / For the Times)
REVIEW: Time has overtaken ‘The Sunshine Boys’ (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: ‘Chicago’ storms into the Hollywood Bowl (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: ‘Marriage of Figaro’ a wedding of many talents (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: With ‘Tosca,’ Los Angeles Opera goes for grand (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: The collateral damage of genius in Boris Eifman’s ‘Rodin’ (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: ‘The Royale’ punches well but has character issues (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: L.A. Dance Festival returns to boost homegrown dance (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Sensual energy crackles in Alvin Ailey dance program (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Aaron Copland as a hinge (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: ‘American Buffalo’ at Geffen a refreshing dose of Mamet (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Flashes of lightning in Trisha Brown’s ‘Astral Converted’ (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: A new Cinderella at Los Angeles Opera makes an impression (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Ethical quandaries buzz in ‘The Nether’ (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: L.A. Opera’s ‘Flying Dutchman’ back in action (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: For David Henry Hwang’s ‘Chinglish,’ a case of bad timing in China (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Clive Davis’ next role: Broadway producer of a new ‘My Fair Lady’ (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: The usually inventive BBC Concert Orchestra goes retro (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra violinist has a date with a Stradivarius (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Elevator Repair Service’s ‘Gatz’ a rewarding marathon | Elevator Repair Service takes on the great ‘Gatz’ | Marathon plays stand the test of time (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Trey McIntyre Project dances are both slight and potent | Trey McIntyre Project brings ‘Ways of Seeing’ to Segerstrom (Luis Cinco / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Esa-Pekka Salonen and an electrifying L.A. Philharmonic | Esa-Pekka Salonen returns to L.A. with murder in mind (Matthew Lloyd / For The Times)
REVIEW: Esa-Pekka Salonen and an electrifying L.A. Philharmonic | Esa-Pekka Salonen returns to L.A. with murder in mind (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: How David Lang’s ‘love fail’ succeeds sublimely (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Bolshoi’s ‘Lake’ is sometimes choppy, sometimes smooth | Photos (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Glorya Kaufman gives USC millions to build a dance school (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Benjamin Millepied gets moving in Los Angeles | Photos | Review (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Barbra Streisand puts the Hollywood Bowl under her spell (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Desire and sexual politics whirl among ‘Them’ (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Two ways to capture magic of ‘The Tempest’ | Photos (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Barbara Cook rejuvenates song standards (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos, Lynn Harrell at Disney Hall (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Some bright spots in a lesser ‘Madame Butterfly’ | Photos (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Opera’s ever-inquisitive Eric Owens is in high demand (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
Critic’s Notebook: The joys and challenges of the L.A. small-theater scene (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Christopher Hawthorne’s On the Boulevards Project (Luis Cinco / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: George Takei builds on legacy with ‘Allegiance’ at the Old Globe (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Emily Mann a natural to direct ‘Streetcar’ and ‘The Convert’ (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Lackluster Expo Line reflects Metro’s weak grasp of design (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: James Corden, ‘One Man’ and a plethora of talent (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Llyn Foulkes’ art of raw emotion (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Mickalene Thomas, up close and very personal (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: “Follies” is a source of heartache and razzmatazz (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Will downtown L.A.'s Grand Park succeed? | Photos (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Artist Xavier Veilhan casts Richard Neutra’s VDL House in a new light (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: A blazing “Red” with Alfred Molina as Mark Rothko (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Lynn Nottage wants “Vera Stark” to be a conversation starter (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: In the Studio: Ben Jackel uses broad ax strokes (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Review: “War Horse” at Ahmanson Theatre is a marvel of stagecraft | Photos (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
More: A pop choreographer with a busy schedule (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
More: Hammer biennial lends artists a helping hand (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
More: Plácido Domingo leads an uptempo life (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
More: In the moment with Cate Blanchett (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
More: Yuja Wang turns heads at the Hollywood Bowl with a purple gown Photos (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
More: Jesse Tyler Ferguson takes on ‘The Producers’ at the Bowl | Review | Photos (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
Review: LACMA’s new hunk ‘Levitated Mass’ has some substance | Critic’s Notebook: Art on an architectural scale at LACMA (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Review: LACMA’s new hunk ‘Levitated Mass’ has some substance | Critic’s Notebook: Art on an architectural scale at LACMA (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Review: Antic ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ a scenic spectacle | More photos (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
More: Q&A: Sanaa Lathan (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
More: Los Angeles Opera takes fresh look at Verdi’s ‘The Two Foscari’ | Review (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
Review: Itzhak Perlman closes Hollywood Bowl classical season (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
Review: L.A. Opera’s ‘Don Giovanni’ upholds tradition expertly | Photos (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
More: Kristin Chenoweth warms up for California concerts (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
More: Composer Andrew Norman’s imagination has taken residence (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
More: It's no easy act for Felicity Huffman (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
More: Sophie B. Hawkins channels Janis Joplin’s spirit in ‘Room 105' (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Review: Israel Philharmonic, rising above differences (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
More: John Hurt plays back ‘interrupted pause’ of ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’ | Review (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
More: Teatro ZinZanni sets up a tent and fills it with elegant chaos (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
More: Performance review: A down-to-Earth ‘Dirtday!’ (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
More: Mark Z. Danielewski: The writer as needle and thread (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
More: Gustavo Dudamel’s captivating theatrics serve the music | More photos (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Doing the numbers on LACMA’s Tim Burton show (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
So you think classical music is purely a rarefied pursuit, where what matter are creativity, spirit and soul? The musician’s body does not agree.
Not midway through a high-powered symphony. Not sitting near the crashing cymbals in Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. Not during the long haul of Wagner’s “Ring” cycle.
Take violinist David Harrington. He was in rehearsals with his adventurous Kronos Quartet, preparing to play the epic String Quartet No. 2 by Morton Feldman — it notoriously spans six hours without intermission. Just continuous playing through what seems like a universe of time.
“We’d already done eight performances of the piece, and this 1996 concert at Lincoln Center was to be our last outing with it,” he said by phone from San Francisco.
FULL COVERAGE: 2013 Spring arts preview
But pains started shooting up and down his arm 40 minutes into rehearsal. They grew more and more alarming.
“Finally, after several hours of rehearsal, the pain was excruciating,” he said. “We ended up canceling this last and most famous venue for the work.”
As with so many other musicians, Harrington found himself afflicted with a literally show-stopping physical handicap. Luckily for him, the condition was temporary. He could go back to his calling: playing music that demands the utmost precision, fluency, coordination and endurance — and doing so with an Olympian level of artistry.
Not everyone is so fortunate. A trumpeter in Los Angeles once ended up with lockjaw and had to withdraw from the Philharmonic. A number of pianists have developed carpal tunnel syndrome that has severely interrupted their careers.
Harrington spoke about his experience with the Quartet No. 2 and what pain the Kronos players’ bodies have endured with it over the years.
PHOTOS: Gustavo Dudamel career in pictures
“My back, John Sherba’s little finger. Joan Jeanrenaud’s leg that went to sleep. Beyond that, how we trained ourselves to stay in the character of the music,” he said.
“But there comes a point when that pain is almost unbearable. In Hour 3, I would get so angry at Morton [Feldman]. Then you forget about it because the music is so incredibly beautiful, the audience is ecstatic, in another space. The experience is unlike anything else.”
That’s how listeners on the other side of the footlights see it, with no idea of the risk of physical injury in the pursuit of aesthetic goals.
Reports of torn rotator cuffs, repetitive stress injury, inguinal hernias, exploded neck vertebrae and lower spine problems tell the story. The ailments sound like a disabled list for a professional sports team.
“Elite athletes of the small muscles” is how cellist Janet Horvath refers to her fellow musicians. Unlike athletes who are likely to work 10 to 15 years, musicians boast long careers, so their bodies must toil for decades, with a regimen of practice, rehearsals and performances, often for more than 10 hours a day. As with cars, human parts wear out. And repetitive motion with tensed muscles and held positions takes a huge toll on the body.
PHOTOS: Arts and culture in pictures by The Times
Even a young pro such as L.A. Phil music director Gustavo Dudamel is not immune, sustaining, in a wildly exuberant flourish, a neck/shoulder injury a few years ago. Famous pianists such as Leon Fleisher and Gary Graffman have grabbed headlines with their agonizing hand disabilities, their attempted surgical repairs and eventual recoveries.
In fact, orchestra ranks are filled with casualties, especially among string players.
Laura Hamilton, principal associate concertmaster in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and in her 27th year there, said: “I played violin so many years that certain intrinsic hand muscles got weakened, resulting in painful tendinitis, on top of repetitive stress injury with moving my bow arm back and forth.” It took six months for her to recover after chasing around to find a correct diagnosis and proper treatment. Finally, with laser therapy, cortisone and strengthening exercises, Hamilton was able to get back in action.
“And I’m grateful for management’s rotation policy,” she said, which calculates a reasonable number of work hours for musicians with a vulnerability factor. Not many orchestras make such allowances.
The Met, she noted, has “a huge load of repertory — in a week there could be four different performances of three different operas, plus rehearsals. But no orchestra musician sits for everything. The schedules are carefully mapped out so that there is adequate time off.
CHEAT SHEET: Spring Arts Preview
“Even so, we don’t mind the high volume. How could we? The music we play, the great singers on stage -- it’s all just fantastic.”
Similar sentiments come from violist Jerry Epstein, retired after 40-plus years with the L.A. Phil. But he’s had three rotator-cuff surgeries and cannot lift his shoulder even for ordinary tasks, forget about playing his instrument again. He does teach now, but he cannot demonstrate for a student, only verbalize, which, he says, falls short of the mark.
“We’ve had more injuries than professional football players, and inside our lockers it looks like a hospital supply room,” he said.
“Still, when you’re on stage doing a great Mahler symphony, you play through the pain, because it’s compelling music. For the fast pages, it’s like skipping rope, but the slow stuff kills. Thirty-five minutes of slow bows and no rest. I remember hyperventilating, saying to myself, ‘You’ll get there, you’ll get there. Hang in.’ ”
Principal players at the L.A. Phil get special privileges such as time off from a grinding play-every-concert schedule. Epstein said being an orchestra member without a title such as assistant or associate principal or principal is “a no-man’s land, the worst place to be, because your contract does not let you out of children’s or pops or Bowl concerts, except on a rare occasion.”
But at least he played in the front row, which kept him away from the brass and percussion, where there’s the possibility of ear damage. Janet Horvath, a former associate principal cellist with the Minnesota Orchestra, now retired after 30 years, suffers a condition called hyperacusis.
“It’s worse than hearing loss,” she said. “It’s life-changing pain. It can make one become a hermit, suicidal, just in the need to stay away from sound. The world, especially this high-decibel world we live in, is toxically noisy.
“There’s a logarithm for it, according to OSHA, there’s a certain number of hours spent in hearing range of sound levels unfit for human ears that causes damage.”
And, as she explains, it was just that high-decibel environment on stage with the orchestra playing additional, amped-up pops concerts for extra income that caused her condition, “especially on occasions when I sat next to singers belting into speakers.”
Her departure from the Minnesota Orchestra came in 2010, after many doctor visits and trial remedies. “I realized I was done — too much pain — when we toured London and played Beethoven’s Ninth and a Bruckner symphony in the 5,000-seat Albert Hall.”
But along her path of dysfunction she wrote a book, “Playing (Less) Hurt,” as an injury prevention guide for musicians — and has seen the burgeoning of performing arts medicine, in conjunction with sports medicine. (Her advice includes repositioning legs and feet, keeping head and neck in alignment, walking around during breaks, flexing/extending hands/fingers/wrists.)
“Still, many musicians would rather be known as lepers than injured and questionable,” she said, “because managers are not all as forgiving as the Met Opera, for the usual budgetary reasons.
“And as devastating as leaving the orchestra was for me, I’m now getting a master’s in creative writing and involved in peace and justice activities and am able to play a little chamber music. But I feel horrible about the Minnesota Orchestra, which is wiped out financially. They have nothing but their music.”
David Langlitz, though, still has his. Thirty-seven years as principal trombonist at the Met orchestra, his outcome is something to cheer: After surgical repair of a triple hernia (caused by strong blowing) and the most carefully paced, slow recovery that took him out for a full season, he’s back at his first chair.
“A hernia for a brass player is like a runner having an operation on the soles of his feet. Breathing is the main vehicle of playing. Without it, there’s nothing.
“So when I finally returned, it was like a performance for my colleagues. We were playing ‘Turandot,’ and I got a foot shuffle from them. Their support and the highly sympathetic management account for my good luck.”
Inside the business of entertainment
The Wide Shot brings you news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production — and what it all means for the future.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
More From the Los Angeles Times
-
Think you know your Oscars history? Take our challenge and see how you rate.
-
Oscar voting begins Thursday. Here’s how three academy members are filling out their ballots.
-
Indie game ‘Good Lookin’ Home Cookin’’ explores the struggles of running a small business with the microaggressions faced by people of color.
-
“If anything, I played her down” the actress says of her sharp-tongued “Hillbilly Elegy” matriarch