{"id":3423,"date":"2009-11-28T08:37:21","date_gmt":"2009-11-28T16:37:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/?p=3423"},"modified":"2013-02-07T20:01:44","modified_gmt":"2013-02-08T04:01:44","slug":"point-counterpoint","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2009\/11\/28\/point-counterpoint\/","title":{"rendered":"point, counterpoint"},"content":{"rendered":"

There has been (and ever shall be) lots of blogging on what should be done about the current state of affairs in professional orchestras – here are two viewpoints that are pretty much diametrically opposed in their solutions, but pretty much right in synch with what they perceive as being the problem.<\/p>\n

The first post is from Ilkka Talvi, former concertmaster of the Seattle Symphony, from his blog Of Music and Men<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s face it: the current, or past, form of classical music business is no longer viable. There are many reasons for it, from grossly inflated expenses to general diminished interest in the art form. We were never intended to have 52-week seasons for orchestras or such fat paychecks for musicians, some of whom only work a few hours per month.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Let\u2019s face it: the current, or past, form of classical music business is no longer viable. There are many reasons for it, from grossly inflated expenses to general diminished interest in the art form. We were never intended to have 52-week seasons for orchestras or such fat paychecks for musicians, some of whom only work a few hours per month.<\/p>\n

Shrink the size of an orchestra to about 60, large enough to play the classics we love, and hire extras when needed. Of course a contrabassoonist or other such instrumentalist will complain, but when it comes to making money, you\u2019d be surprised for how little people are willing to play. Perhaps an individual chose such an instrument in the first place knowing what an easy life it would be after getting into a group.<\/p>\n

Read the entire post here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The second post is from William Eddins, music director of the Edmonton Symphony, from his blog Sticks and Drones<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Too often the prevailing attitude amongst musicians is one of gloom, despair, and a hidden intense disliking of our profession. It is almost as if we have forgotten how lucky we are to do what we do. Three hundred years ago our ancient colleagues did all sorts of crazy things besides music. They were footmen, or they mucked out the barns, perhaps labored all day at some physically demanding job. We have come a very long way from those times and we should be thankful for it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Too often the prevailing attitude amongst musicians is one of gloom, despair, and a hidden intense disliking of our profession.\u00a0 It is almost as if we have forgotten how lucky we are to do what we do.\u00a0 Three hundred years ago our ancient colleagues did all sorts of crazy things besides music.\u00a0 They were footmen, or they mucked out the barns, perhaps labored all day at some physically demanding job.\u00a0 We have come a very long way from those times and we should be thankful for it.<\/p>\n

But we have also lost touch with a large portion of society in the process.\u00a0 We don\u2019t work \u201cregular\u201d jobs anymore.\u00a0 We spend most of our time around other musicians or in situations solely dedicated to our art.\u00a0 There are thousands upon thousands of people who make a living simply by this art form where three hundred years ago anyone doing that would have been in extremely rare territory.\u00a0 Because of this we have become separated from those who are suppose to enjoy our music.\u00a0 This is not healthy, for either them or us.<\/p>\n

Read the entire post here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There has been (and ever shall be) lots of blogging on what should be done about the current state of affairs in professional orchestras – here are two viewpoints that are pretty much diametrically opposed in their solutions, but pretty much right in synch with what they perceive as being the problem. The first post […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":303,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[225,2],"tags":[3663,585],"class_list":["post-3423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bloggers","category-the-orchestra-world","tag-musicians","tag-orchestras"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa8kC-Td","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":33,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2006\/03\/25\/orchestras-and-itunes\/","url_meta":{"origin":3423,"position":0},"title":"orchestras and iTunes","author":"Charles Noble","date":"March 25, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"I have the following reaction when I read that the New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic were going to offer downloads of complete recent concerts via iTunes: it's about time! Both orchestras are part of a new initiative by the Universal Music Group built on its Deutsche Grammophon and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "the orchestra world"","block_context":{"text":"the orchestra world","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/the-orchestra-world\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12959,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2013\/08\/26\/another-crisis-article-where-are-the-solution-articles\/","url_meta":{"origin":3423,"position":1},"title":"another crisis article – where are the solution articles?","author":"Charles Noble","date":"August 26, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Philip Kennicott has his first new article in three years up over at the New Republic, and it's a doozy. It ostensibly covers the 2013 edition of the annual meeting of the League of American Orchestras (the management counterpart to the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians, or ICSOM)\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "administration"","block_context":{"text":"administration","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/the-orchestra-world\/administration-the-orchestra-world-music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"newrep","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/newrep-300x167.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3703,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2009\/12\/31\/anti-hopes-for-the-coming-decade\/","url_meta":{"origin":3423,"position":2},"title":"anti-hopes for the coming decade","author":"Charles Noble","date":"December 31, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Here are things that I hope don't occur or take place or become more prevalent in the coming decade.\u00a0 The naughts have basically sucked for everyone (unless you're in one of the surviving financial giants, that is), and the teens have got to be better. That programming continues to get\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "the orchestra world"","block_context":{"text":"the orchestra world","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/the-orchestra-world\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2305,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2009\/04\/08\/more-cuts-for-orchestras\/","url_meta":{"origin":3423,"position":3},"title":"more cuts for orchestras","author":"Charles Noble","date":"April 8, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"UPDATE 4\/08 [link] The Utah Symphony\/Opera cut 11.5% of of their benefits plus Keith Lockhart takes 10% pay reduction. [link] The Atlanta Symphony musicians have reopened their previously negotiated CBA (which ran through 2011) and will be taking an 8.8% pay cut by the end of 2011 (the first drop\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"scissors","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/04\/scissors-400x221.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":176,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2007\/01\/22\/musicians-abusing-their-own-power\/","url_meta":{"origin":3423,"position":4},"title":"orchestral equilibrium","author":"Charles Noble","date":"January 22, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Check out this story by LA Times classical music critic Mark Swed, then come back and let's talk. I wish that journalists were given the time and space to fully explore the ideas that they either come up with or which are assigned to them by their editors. Since not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "the orchestra world"","block_context":{"text":"the orchestra world","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/the-orchestra-world\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2006\/02\/26\/dazed-and-excused\/","url_meta":{"origin":3423,"position":5},"title":"Dazed and excused?","author":"Charles Noble","date":"February 26, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Here's the latest in a series of articles about how undemonstrative and boring American orchestra musicans are. From the Chicago Sun-Times. Link to Article Here's my take on the phenomenon. I love watching European orchestras play, especially the Berlin Philharmonic. They move like a teeming coral reef of musicality, with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "the orchestra world"","block_context":{"text":"the orchestra world","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/the-orchestra-world\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/303"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3423"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3423\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}