BSO Debut

Thursday night, Marin Alsop appeared with the BSO for the first time since being named music director designate of the orchestra last July. (For the uninitiated, the BSO is the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, as if there could be another BSO.) You may recall there were some, uh, hostilities and words between the BSO Board of Directors and the orchestra musicians at the time of Alsop's appointment.

Well I'm happy to report that any hostilities that may have existed between Alsop and the musicians have been smoothed over and patched up. Alsop received a warm welcome from the orchestra and a standing ovation from the audience as she came on stage to take the podium. "Thank you. It's my incredible pleasure to be here," she said, bowing her head and holding that bow to accept the applause.

Following the performance, Jane Marvine, head of the BSO players committee, presented Maestra Alsop with a single red rose adorned with a small yellow ribbon.

"We couldn't be happier," stated Ms. Marvine. "The musicians have put everything behind them. All our business is settled."

In an unrelated incident, BSO president James Glicker was found murdered in his Roland Park mansion Friday morning. Sources close to the investigation report that Glicker was found dead in his study, stabbed through the eye. "The murder weapon appears to be a thin, basswood skewer of some sort about 12 inches long with a cork handle," said Floria Tosca, a Baltimore Police Department spokeswoman. Tosca confirmed that someone or something had carved "sic semper tyrannis" into Glicker's stomach using a small knife.

Police acknowledge a small knife was found in Glicker's study. "It is what is known as a reed knife," said the police spokeswoman, "used by woodwind players to shape reeds for their instruments. Whether it had anything to do with the gruesome carving found on Mr. Glicker is still being investigated."

Police have no suspects.
K-