The controversy started with an article written by CBC’s Michael Morreale, titled “Classical music’s shocking gender gap”.
In the article, Morreale asserts that despite very healthy numbers of female music students in Canadian universities, talented women are being prevented from having the successful careers they deserve.
Morreale cites statistics from the 2014-15 orchestra season from orchestras in Canada’s four largest cities (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Ottawa). Using the season guides, he tallied the ratio of female to male soloists in the performance of orchestra concertos.
In response to the article, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra conductor Bramwell Tovey has launched a series of tweets while on vacation in Tuscany, blasting the article as inaccurate, sensationalist, plagiarized, and borderline libel.
He demanded an apology from Morreale, who has thus far remained silent.
Here are some of his tweets:
So @CBC How many recorded concerts from European Broadcasting Union are you playing @CBCRadio2 this year? And how many from Canada?
— Bramwell Tovey (@BramwellTovey) March 19, 2014
@centrediscs @18mrm Not fabulous-poorly researched&presented in tabloid style on very important topic @CBCMusic should do better than this.
— Bramwell Tovey (@BramwellTovey) March 19, 2014
@18mrm Since 09/10 @VSOrchestra has played 101 concertos, 48female soloists, 52male. You have falsely accused us of a ‘shocking gender gap.’
— Bramwell Tovey (@BramwellTovey) March 20, 2014
@18mrm You follow me on Twitter & have my private email but didn’t bother to check your facts. Your lack of diligence is deplorable.
— Bramwell Tovey (@BramwellTovey) March 20, 2014
@18mrm This issue is so important & serious that throwing around accusations just won’t do. You owe @VSOrchestra an apology.
— Bramwell Tovey (@BramwellTovey) March 20, 2014
@18mrm @VSOrchestra 48F 53M –
— Bramwell Tovey (@BramwellTovey) March 20, 2014
28 soloists @VSOrchestra 14/15(excl choral)16male/10female/2tbd. Male soloists 57.14% Waiting for your apology @18mrm http://t.co/avSZLnmvHq
— Bramwell Tovey (@BramwellTovey) March 20, 2014
Hack piece @CBCMusic journalism falsely accuses @VSOrchestra of “shocking gender gap” w/wholly incorrect statistic (see previous tweets).
— Bramwell Tovey (@BramwellTovey) March 20, 2014
.@VSOrchestra is waiting for @18mrm @CBCMusic apology for fake statistics & lack of diligence in plagiarized article. http://t.co/avSZLnmvHq
— Bramwell Tovey (@BramwellTovey) March 20, 2014
@CBCMusic @18mrm Recent CBC article: False information; painting VSO & @BramwellTovey with false accusations; unethical; borderline libel.
— Vancouver Symphony (@VSOrchestra) March 21, 2014
Cowardly&unethical @18mrm @CBCMusic to hideaway for 2 days after outrageous lie re @VSOrchestra Not even a reply. Apology only way forward.
— Bramwell Tovey (@BramwellTovey) March 21, 2014
.@18mrm You have failed to respond to, or correct a blatant, possibly deliberate untruth about @VSOrchestra Why did you fail to fact-check?
— Bramwell Tovey (@BramwellTovey) March 21, 2014
Day 4: @CBCMusic @18mrm fail to correct blatant lie & outrageous accusation about @VSOrchestra Not even a response from tabloid site.
— Bramwell Tovey (@BramwellTovey) March 22, 2014
.@18mrm You asked for a conversation but are silent? You manipulated statistics to fit story, failed to fact-check, got found out. Say sorry
— Bramwell Tovey (@BramwellTovey) March 22, 2014
By not offering public support @CBCMusic clearly distancing itself from @18mrm &his false evidence of “shocking gender gap” @VSOrchestra
— Bramwell Tovey (@BramwellTovey) March 22, 2014
Day 5: @CBCMusic still refuses public support for @18mrm over false statistic on @VSOrchestra & failure to fact-check.
— Bramwell Tovey (@BramwellTovey) March 23, 2014
As you can see, this is an incredible rant from one of Classical music’s most esteemed and respected conductors.
The question is, is he right? Is this article simply looking to exploit an issue, or is there something more to this?
All in all, I think some fact checking is in order – and Musical Toronto will be looking into this. I have also personally contacted Michael Morreale for a response and will update this space as the story continues.
Who says Canada is boring?
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Clarification: The re-tweet (RT) dated March 19th, 2014 is not related to the CBC article in question. It is instead a response to a previous article published on Feb. 24 2014, by Michael Morreale – “How the 90’s almost destroyed classical music, from the Three Tenors, to Vanessa-Mae to Sarah Brightman.” Also another tweet posted by Tovey on March 19, which stated Morreale’s article is Toronto-centric, was in fact also in reference to Morreale’s Feb 24, 2014 article.
Michael Vincent
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