As someone who works in advertising, I've gotta say I'm not a fan of Carnegie's new branding campaign, which consists of slapping a big red C over everything they publish: programs, posters, marketing emails. Sure, it grabs your attention, but in a bad way: the font is hideous, and in every shot I've seen, it blocks both the architecture and the performers. I'm sure this uncharacteristic boldness is the marketing department's way of trying to make the hall appeal more to a 21st Century sensibility, but it also breaks one of the most basic rules of advertising: Never obscure your product shot. 

What I am a big fan of is Carnegie's upcoming parade of orchestra concerts, which is simply an embarrassment of riches over the next month (any of which you under-40 somethings can attend for only $20, once you sign up for Notables):

• 1/30-31: Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• 2/1: Boston Symphony Orchestra
• 2/9: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
• 2/13: NY Philharmonic
• 2/15: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
• 2/16-17: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
• 2/21: Orchestra of St. Luke's
• 2/23: Mariinsky Orchestra
• 2/27-28: Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
• 3/1: Minnesota Orchestra

Too bad the big In C show already happened last year.