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4.19.2001 00:05
Conductor Peter Bay's life is music
Prospects for young American conductors -- or American conductors of any vintage -- are no better now than in years past, when Europeans dominated the field. That frustrating observation comes from Peter Bay, who'll be standing in for Larry Rachleff during Saturday's Rhode Island Philharmonic outing.
But Bay, who was associated for many seasons with the Rochester Philharmonic, is thankful to have a thriving orchestra in Austin, Texas, where a flourishing software industry has been a boon for the arts.
Two decades ago, when Austin was on hard times, the orchestra nearly shut down. Now, it's about to move into a remodeled 2,220-seat hall downtown, and at this point plays two concerts on a given weekend to an audience of about 5,600 -- nearly three times the number of listeners that turn out for the Philharmonic. And Bay is in negotiations to extend his contract to 2005.
Still, Bay, 44, was schocked to find that major American conductors such as David Zinman from Baltimore and Leonard Slatkin, who's at the National Symphony in Washington, D. C., weren't in the running for two important posts -- the Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic.
"If people like that are passed over, imagine the trickle-down," Bay said. He said someone like himself can't even count on a shot at second-tier orchestras such as Cincinnati.
Bay was speaking the other day from his home in Austin at 8 a.m. Central Time. He had a concert that night and several radio interviews to take care of, including one on a local rock station, where he gets a chance to schmooze with the DJs and "demystify" the classics.
"We've gotten some new fans," said Bay.
By word of mouth
One might have thought that Bay was picked to guest-conduct the Philharmonic because he hangs out with Rachleff, a fellow Texan based at Rice University in Houston. Not so.
The two met briefly years ago, said Bay, but haven't seen one another since. "I'm grateful that he was willing to hire by word of mouth," said Bay.
Bay, who grew up in the nation's capital, has wanted to be a conductor since he was 9. He would imitate conductors on TV and check out library books on the craft.
His dream to someday conduct his hometown orchestra, the National Symphony, came true in the mid-1990s, when he led the orchestra in a couple of
Messiah
performances and some pops programs.
At this point, Bay has just the Austin orchestra and a summer weekend festival in Oregon, where orchestral players from from around the country to play with the likes of Bobby MacFerrin, Emanuel Ax and Marilyn Horne.
He also has a longtime girlfriend with whom he carries on a long-distance relationship. She's principal flutist with the Honolulu Symphony, which means they see one another every three months or so.
Otherwise, Bay's life is music.
"It's definitely a life's calling," he said.
FOR SATURDAY'S CONCERT
with the Philharmonic, Bay has picked a program with familiar names but unfamiliar scores. There'll be music by Richard Strauss, but not
Don Juan
or
Also Sprach Zarathustra.
He'll be leading Frank Lloyd in the second horn concerto, which was written in the early 1940s, toward the end of Strauss's long, productive life.
And there'll be some Beethoven -- but in this case, the little-known Second Symphony. Bay has a special fondness for the piece, both because it's great music and because of the circumstances surrounding its creation.
The score is a runaway romp that sounds like it would have been written during one of the sunnier moments in Beethoven's life. In fact, it was penned during the darkest, when he realized he was going deaf and was contemplating suicide.
"For this symphony to come out of that," said Bay, "is a real good example of self-help."
Peter Bay leads the Rhode Island Philharmonic in music by Kodaly, Strauss and Beethoven Saturday night at 8 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium. Tickets range $25 to $45. Call 831-3123.
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