“It’s a tragedy of course,” said Jonathan Clemens, sighing dramatically as he took a seat across from Sean McGill. “For this to happen just when the situation was beginning to brighten.”
“Brighten?” asked McGill. “Could you clarify that for me, please?”
“I mean financially of course. I am the business manager after all. After a great start under Maestro Hauptmann, the orchestra had begun to lose momentum in the last year and a half.”
“Was the orchestra actually losing money?”
“We certainly weren’t making any,” Clemens said, raising his eyebrows. “Of course we had built up something of a reserve…a few million dollars in fact. But we were going through it quickly. This season has not been a box office success by any means and we’ve never been as flush as some people have assumed.”
“And do you blame Loreen Stenke for the recent problems?”
Clemens shrugged. “It’s not that simple. People like Loreen well enough. I believe the members of the orchestra admire her talent as a conductor. Her programming is sometimes a bit difficult for our audience to follow.”
“Too modernist?”
“Well, at least the wrong modernism. And some of the critics have jumped all over her, not that that necessarily always translates into dollars and cents.”
“What does translate into dollars and cents?”
“Maestro Hauptmann was great with the members of the Board and with potential donors. He was able to make them feel important…make them feel as if he really cared what they thought of the orchestra.”
“And did he?”
Clemens smiled. “Not particularly. And on some levels the donors must have understood that. But it’s a game, you know, dealing with donors. We all play by the same rules, but some people simply do it much better than others.”
“And Loreen Stenke?”
“She just didn’t have that magic with donors that Hauptmann had.”
“Would you have been pleased if Maestro Hauptmann had stayed in charge, not just through this concert season but into next year as well?”
“I truly doubt that would have happened. He was serious about retiring. He had plenty of offers from other orchestras to do guest conducting stints but he passed up most of them. He was happy to take over here for the last two concerts from Loreen because he knew that it was a limited engagement. And of course he was always very dedicated to this orchestra.”
“Although I met the Maestro only once and that very briefly, I’ve heard only positive things about him. That, of course, makes his murder all the more difficult to understand.”
Clemens shook his head sadly. “We are all at a loss as to why or how this could have happened.”
“Wilfrid Carter, whom I’ve also met briefly, seems convinced that it’s some sort of conspiracy directed against the orchestra.”
“I’m not sure that I’d take that too seriously, Detective McGill. Wilfrid loves to hear himself talk, and if he can be dramatic about something, so much the better.”
“So you can’t think of anyone who might have done this to hurt the orchestra?”
“Actually murder someone? No, I can’t think of anyone who would do that just to hurt the orchestra.”
“Well, then, is it possible that someone may have had a personal vendetta against Hauptmann?”
“It’s hard for me to imagine it. He was a gentleman who had, by all reports, grown mellower over the years. Perhaps as a young man in Europe, straining to make his reputation, he might have trod on some toes, but here, in Philadelphia, I just can’t see it.”
“Has there ever been any hostility demonstrated toward Hauptmann by any of the current staff?”
“No, nothing that I know about. He could be very…well precise in his instructions from time to time, but everyone always understood that he was acting in the best interests of the orchestra.”
“How about the members of the orchestra? Anyone who might have resented the fact that he would be taking Ms. Stenke’s place for the last two concerts.”
“That was Loreen’s decision, Detective McGill. I think everyone understood that.”
“No mistreated orchestral member with a grudge?”
“I highly doubt it, but I wouldn’t be the one to ask about that. Perhaps you might be able to look up some of the orchestra members themselves.”
“Yes, I think I will.”
Clemens rose to his feet. “I realize that I haven’t been particularly helpful, Detective, but I can’t tell you what I don’t know and I hate to speculate foolishly.”
“I understand.”
“We’re all terribly upset of course, but if I can think of anything important I’ve not told you, I can assure you that I’ll get in touch with you right away.”
McGill rose to shake Clemens’ hand. “Thank you. I need all the help I can get.”