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RUMOR: John Williams plans to retire in 2019


Ricard

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4 minutes ago, Fabulin said:

Measures taken against the coronavirus, if kept for some time, will be one of the greatest blows classical orchestras have ever experienced.

 

Indeed. And it is terrible. My orchestra shut everything down until the end of May. We are still doing some chamber music streams and Youtube concerts. Until the possible curfew. 

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It would be devastating if it were only orchestras being shut down.  However, it is everything public.  Musicians are in the same boat as 50% of the population at the moment.  That's why in the US and others they are talking about monthly gov't checks until it is over and then (hopefully), things generally return to the way they were.  

 

The sky might be falling all everyone, but I don't think it is selectively falling.  

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Well, given that many orchestras already have financial troubles, it could affect them disproportionately. I'm sure most will survive but I wouldn't be surprised if, now or sometime in the future, some smaller cities will eventually lose their orchestras. But I think there will always be enough support for them in major cities.

 

Here in Atlanta, the ASO is betting on being able to hold concerts in June. They postponed RotJ until then, and have sold tickets for new concerts to take place in June as well. Personally I think it's a bit optimistic but they probably want to A) pick reschedule dates to stop people from requesting refunds and B) collect any new income they can.

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57 minutes ago, karelm said:

You'd be surprised to know that a huge bulk of their budget comes from philanthropists who believe in the arts and donate huge sums each year.  There are very few of these people but they support the arts.  For example, the legendary Philadelphia Orchestra (Leopold Stowkoski's old group), might have gotten the bulk of their revenue from four or five very rich philanthropists.  Most of these are old people and when one died, that pretty much resulted in the orchestra's bankruptcy. 

 

This is indeed done mostly in the USA, and as you indicate yourself it's not a system that gives the best stability. To me it seems to attract narcissistic, snobbish rich people who want their name associated with the high arts.

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14 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

This is indeed done mostly in the USA, and as you indicate yourself it's not a system that gives the best stability. To me it seems to attract narcissistic rich people who want their name associated with the high arts.

 

You mean like how composers used to be employed by nobility?  Or how Richard Wagner was funded by Ludwig II King of Bavaria?  Or how Tchaikovsky was supported financially by Nadezhda von Meck?  Or how Bach was employed by Duke Johann Ernst III? Or how Mozart's patron was Baron Gottfried van Swieten?  Or how Stravinsky was patroned by Princess Maria Tenisheva?  Sometimes artists transcend these narcissistic rich people and sometimes they actually do love the arts too but I get your point that arts and commerce makes bad bed fellows.

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8 minutes ago, karelm said:

You mean like how composers used to be employed by nobility?  Or how Richard Wagner was funded by Ludwig II King of Bavaria?  Or how Tchaikovsky was supported financially by Nadezhda von Meck?  Or how Bach was employed by Duke Johann Ernst III? Or how Mozart's patron was Baron Gottfried van Swieten?  Or how Stravinsky was patroned by Princess Maria Tenisheva? 

 

Exactly. It's an archaic system that means the orchestra has to use valuable time on fundraising instead of their core tasks. It doesn't belong in an enlightened democracy.

 

Btw, when it comes to Wagner and his patron, it was the former that was the narcissist. :)

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