Just in: Vienna votes big increase in opera funding
mainWe haven’t read all the small print, but it looks like an extra 4.9 million Euros next year for operas staged at the Theater an der Wien, and played by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra (pictured).
This is city money, not state. The Wiener Staatsoper is funded centrally. But Vienna has decided it needs more opera all over town and the money was voted by by a red-green coalition. Sign of the times?
Memo to the next Mayor of New York.
Encouraging!!!!
Sorry to pour water on opera lovers’ dreams, but this money goes to the musicals, which in Vienna get subsidies. ‘Naturally Blonde’ was such a disaster that the taxpayer has to cover the deficit – officially to save the musical orchestra.
Meanwhile the Konzerthaus gets zippo.
This is not encouraging, this is a slap in the face for all those artists who produce quality and manage to stick to budgets.
BTW: the next musical to be produced with taxpayers’ money is Mamma Mia. Indeed.
Mamma Mia, at least, will probably sell well.
I think you meant to say, “Legally Blond”, Beaumont!
sorry – my mistake!
Unfortunately the rest is true – at the moment there is a great bruhaha because of it (will come to nothing, of course).