Montreal Symphony Strike & Online petition

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 6:03 pm

DP wrote:eventually, the legions of displaced panpipe players died out,
never resolving their disgruntlement that the world changes.

That will only make my Zamfir albums more valuable.

Next year is the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth. I have no doubt that many orchestras will be programming a lot of his music. Ought to be a really good year for tenured tuba players...

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 10:11 am

Chuck(G) wrote:Ought to be a really good year for tenured tuba players...

I'm sure that the handful of them that aren't per service will appreciate it! The rest of us can go back to our jobs at 7/11 and wait... (now, if I break my pan pipes off in the middle, can I use them to cue my posse for rap tunes, succa?)

Z-Tuba Dude · Post by **Z-Tuba Dude** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 11:55 am

Chuck(G) wrote:I have no doubt that many orchestras will be programming a lot of his music. Ought to be a really good year for tenured tuba players...

Considering what they had to go through, in order to become tenured tubists, I don't begrudge them the time off.

After all, THEY are not responsible for programming! (If they were, I'm sure there would be less Mozart, and a lot more Bruckner/Wagner/Mahler!)

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 12:35 pm

Chuck(G) wrote:Or a change of an operating model. The modern tenured-position full-time symphony is a fairly modern innovation. Why should music be different from any other occupation? Why not year-to-year contracts with performers? Per-service pay for less-used instruments like tuba and harp? 401(k) plans instead of a pension?

This is worth a look too. I think it might be interesting to have "free agency". Imagine a "New York Yankees" version of an orchestra, where management is willing to pay whatever it takes to get the best musicians. There would be no auditions in the traditional sense. Scouts would go to concerts around the world, pick the best musicians and offer them a salary they couldn't refuse. If they didn't work out, they would be replaced. I could see salaries for the top musicians easily topping a million dollars.

Now, would this attract an audience? Well, if the orchestra talked the city council into to forcing the taxpayers into to financing a new 25,000-seat hall that would help. Then they could charge a minimum of $100 per ticket, so most of those taxpayers could not afford to go even if they wanted too. ... I think I'm becoming cynical.

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 12:56 pm

Mark wrote:This is worth a look too. I think it might be interesting to have "free agency". Imagine a "New York Yankees" version of an orchestra, where management is willing to pay whatever it takes to get the best musicians. There would be no auditions in the traditional sense. Scouts would go to concerts around the world, pick the best musicians and offer them a salary they couldn't refuse. If they didn't work out, they would be replaced. I could see salaries for the top musicians easily topping a million dollars.

Maybe you're on to something, Mark--if only there were something to see at a symphony concert. Maybe a commentator would help--a la Peter Schickele. "Wait--wait--look at the second horn! I can't believe it! He's going to use his spit valve..."

I'd much rather go to an opera than a symphony concert any day. If I want to simply listen to something, I'll buy the CD--it's cheaper--and the sound is better than at most seats in a concert hall. And I don't have to put up with the chatter or stinky perfume or elbows from the people sitting nearby.

I might change my opinion if the symphony added a puppet show...

..and I can't stand the public professional sports welfare program either...

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 4:49 pm

Chuck(G) wrote:Maybe a commentator would help--a la Peter Schickele. "Wait--wait--look at the second horn! I can't believe it! He's going to use his spit valve..."

French horns have spit valves?

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 5:06 pm

Mark wrote:
Chuck(G) wrote:Maybe a commentator would help--a la Peter Schickele. "Wait--wait--look at the second horn! I can't believe it! He's going to use his spit valve..."
French horns have spit valves?

Yup, looks like this:

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 5:26 pm

Oh, yes, from the label I can tell this mouthpiece is for a French horn player.

JB · Post by JB » Wed Jul 06, 2005 1:20 pm

barry guerrero wrote:...I'm told that the hall in Montreal is atrocious, in terms of its acoustics. All the recordings that they made for Decca (London) were done at a big church on the edge of town somewhere. St. Eustache, I think.

Barry Guerrero

Its true; the hall stinks and they record in the church mentioned.

And I hope they get back to working in both locations very soon.