Free They Told Me Not to Take that Job: Tumult, Betrayal, Heroics, and the Transformation of Lincoln Center by Reynold Levy Page A

players in a given section of the orchestra. But none of the provisions came even close to the assertion of authority these freelance musicians were insisting upon for the Mostly Mozart Orchestra.
    In June 2002 I had been exclusively on the payroll of Lincoln Center for a little more than one month. If the union members thought that a brand-new president might buckle under the pressure of a media frenzy, a disappointed audience, and the cost of a labor action that could not be offset by earned revenue, they had good reason. The chair of the Lincoln Center board, Beverly Sills, advised me to settle on theunion’s terms if necessary. Just conjure up some face-saving language for management, she advised. The issue at stake was obscure; no one really understood it, she opined. Why start off your tenure as president by alienating musicians, audiences, and union supporters, including most of the members of the New York City Council?
    I held firm. The media pressure did not trouble me. Lincoln Center’s board of directors, while not demonstrably supportive, seemed to be willing to cut the new guy some managerial slack. Whatever the resulting budget deficit, I was certain it could be closed by some more fund-raising hustle. Most important, Jane Moss needed and deserved my support. She was being unfairly scapegoated by elements of the press and reviled by the musicians. I was convinced that her strong track record and excellent intentions for the future of the Mostly Mozart Festival and for its orchestra fully merited my support. Moss needed the running room to rebuild and renew this festival. Being pushed around by musicians understandably concerned about their own future was no way to start that process.
    We both wanted our soon-to-be-named music director to enjoy the full prerogatives of a maestro. The musicians of the Mostly Mozart Orchestra needed to be reshaped into a proud, energetic, fully engaged ensemble. That would take time and money. Scheduling extra rehearsals. Retaining world-renowned feature guest artists. Programming crowd pleasers and challenging repertoire. Encouraging the orchestra to learn from brilliant guest conductors. None of this could happen with a new maestro hobbled by a labor agreement that clouded the issue of who was in charge.
    After several weeks of frenzied activity, including union demonstrations around Lincoln Center’s campus, it became clear that neither the media nor the public were very sympathetic to the musicians’ case. Two days after what was to have been the start of the season, the musicians in effect capitulated. They asked us to commence the Mostly Mozart Festival orchestral concerts about one week late. By then, opportunities for single ticket sales had diminished, and some important guest artists had changed their plans. By then, the opportunity for a buoyant opening had come and gone. We held fast to our position. The festival would carry on that summer, but without any Mostly Mozart Orchestra offerings. We were sure that the union musicians would bea lot more careful in the future about attempting to interfere with the prerogatives of management.
    The rest is contemporary history. Jane Moss announced the appointment of the French maestro Louis Langrée. He is a conductor with a special flair for the music of Mozart. Engaging, energetic, and upbeat, he is a nonconfrontational leader possessed of a light personal touch, and he proved to be an inspired choice. As we had promised him and ourselves, Lincoln Center invested more time, energy, and resources in the festival than ever before.
    Langrée developed a close working relationship with Moss. He was handpicked after Jane saw him perform in Europe. From the beginning, he was well received by the musicians. They rehearsed much more together. Langrée instilled in them a sense of pride and musicianship. He maintained very high standards. They responded by playing well, not only for him but for guest conductors who were going places: