Robert Levine, writing over at Abu Bratsche, has finally weighed in on the Columbus Symphony debacle.  It’s a pretty damning case he makes for the vast majority of the responsibility to be given to the board of the Columbus Symphony for the current state of affairs.  I’d consider it required reading - discuss.

Even with the problems that the OSO is currently facing in terms of recurring budget deficits, the board has not shied away from hiring a strong, competent, clear-eyed president.  We’ve at least had someone at the helm (except for one season after the abrupt departure of former president Tony Woodcock) throughout the time I’ve been here (12 seasons and counting), and that counts for a lot.  I cannot imagine why the CSO decided not to hire an executive director for THREE consecutive seasons.  Amazing, and not in a good way.

As reported in the online journal Musical America, the New York Times has offered buyouts to several writers on its culture beats.

Downsizing at The New York Times has hit the culture department. Among those taking the recently offered buyouts are Bernard Holland, music critic; Jennifer Dunning, dance critic; Diane Nottle, deputy editor for classical music and dance; Gwen Smith, assignments coordinator for dance and art; and Lawrence Van Gelder, senior editor.

That leaves Alastair Macaulay as the only full-time dance critic at the Times, although the newspaper uses free-lancers Gia Kourlas, Roslyn Sulcas and Claudia La Rocco as well. The two full-time music critics left are Anthony Tommasini and Allan Kozinn. James R. Oestreich, editor of classical music and dance, occasionally pitches in as well; Steve Smith and Vivien Schweitzer are Times free-lance classical critics.

Read the entire article here.

C’mon - you know you’ve thought of this, too…

The news from Columbus seems to be getting more dire by the day, and those with the power to change the situation seem unwilling to do so (or to be charitable, unable to do so). Here’s a collection of posts from around the classical blogosphere concerning the situation in Columbus as of late.

• Drew McManus on orchestral homicide
• NY Times on Columbus Shut-down
• CSO crisis: a fresh perspective
• Columbus newspaper bias?
• Drew McManus on CSO board ineffectiveness
• Cincinnati Symphony concerned about Columbus developments
• Columbus Dispatch: It’s the fault of the selfish, greedy musicians

What bothers me the most about this situation is that the responsibility for the plight of the orchestra is being placed squarely on the shoulders of the musicians. According to the board, management, and the editorial board of the Columbus Dispatch, the musicians are selfish and greedy for being unwilling to accept the cuts which are being proposed.

In an orchestra with a multi-year CBA, the costs of the musicians’ salaries are the one factor which can be budgeted for in advance - the numbers are agreed to and known in advance. Certainly, compensation package items such as health care expenses can take sudden up or (ha!) down turns, and those can cause some cash flow problems.

If there were ever a clear cut case of mis-management on the part of both the administration and board of an orchestra, this is a text book example. I just hope that the 08-09 season doesn’t consist of the Cleveland Orchestra and the Cincinnati Symphony playing run-out concerts in Columbus - it’s a fear expressed by some CSO musicians, and given the Cleveland Orchestra’s expansion into South Florida (after the demise of the similarly mis-managed Philharmonic Orchestra of Florida) to supplement it’s income, it’s not out of the realm of possibility…