Everything that is wrong with „Mozart in the Jungle“, Episode 3: „Silent Symphony“
SILENT SYMPHONY
1. Rodrigo’s assistant standing directly behind him during the orchestra rehearsal? This would be considered extremely rude and inappropriate in real life. Conductor’s assistants usually sit in the hall making notes.
2. Rodrigo’s conducting again is awful – he would be laughed off stage if he tried that in front of a real orchestra. The actor is great and very funny, but better give him a better conducting coach, please…and his talk about the “silence between the notes” is basically Cage misunderstood by a screen writer.
3. Orchestra rehearsal breaks are 15 minutes minimum (in Moldavia 20 minutes because they all have to smoke). Not 10 minutes. They wouldn’t bother.
4. Hailey’s only income is from a single private kid student? How does (did) she manage to live with an estimated 200,- USD income per month? In New York? No wonder she desperately needs a job!
5. Nice touch to have Malcolm McDowell sing Beethoven’s 9th during the podcast interview (as a nod to his performance as “Alex” in “Clockwork Orange”) – and in general a great and fantastic scene that is expertly written and performed by both actors (even though conducting competitions for 12 year olds don’t exist, but well) . But come on: the Silent Symphony rehearsal afterwards – that’s just utter bollocks. The orchestra musicians would beg to have Pembridge back after such a stint! Also interesting is the fact that some musicians have their instruments on their knees and others seem to miss them completely. Where have they put them? Perhaps they forgot them outside because of the 10-minute break…
6. Trying to chat up female orchestra members on the lady’s toilet after a rehearsal can cost a male conductor his job. How does he know she won’t file a complaint?
7. The chair of the orchestra committee cannot just appoint Cynthia as his successor, even in a sentimental mood in a hospital bed – this is usually a democratic vote. No wonder she seems uncomfortable.
8. The image of the hospital staff completely stopping work and coming to listen to somebody playing something not that really interesting on a violin to a patient is a nice idea….which would never happen in real life!
9. You all expect me to say that the timpani player dealing with drugs is unrealistic? Well…Let’s say I’ve heard of weirder stuff done by orchestra musicians during my career…
10. So they actually did go through with that “Hear the Hair” ad campaign after Rodrigo threw a fit about it in the second episode? He seems to get no respect from this orchestra, which might have to do with his silly rehearsal methods…
11. Nobody ever practices the oboe 5 hours a day for every day of the week. It’s a physical thing – your embouchure would go to pieces if you did that (and your brain would explode because of the constant pressure). But ok, Hailey is really desperate and she is probably exaggerating to sound more dramatic. But come on….”I have no social life”??? Everybody plus the cab driver is having the hots for cute Hailey and she seemed popular enough at the party. Is that “having no social life”? This is like Ashton Kutcher complaining about having too few Twitter followers…
To be continued…
Moritz Eggert
Komponist
I was puzzled to hear Pembridge being called a Chopin expert in the Podcast Interview. How can this be, given that Chopin only wrote about three pieces with orchestra? Or is that referring to a second career as a pianist?