Saved! Minister is ordered to reprieve doomed Danish orchestra

The Danish Parliament has voted overwhelmingly for a motion, ordering the minister of culture to prevent the national broadcaster, DR, from abolishing its chamber orchestra. A Conservative spokesman said: ‘It’s a cultural scandal that DR has axed the orchestra.’

Other parties echoed similar sentiments.

The debate in Parliament made several references to international reporting of the abolition (led by Slipped Disc) and to protests signed by musicians of the Metropolitan Opera orchestra (rallied by conductors Fabio Luisi and Adam Fischer), the Berlin Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic. No mention was made of the widely-watched video in which the players consumed chili peppers.

The minister is not legally obligated to obey the Parliamentary motion, but failure do so would, commentators say, seriously undermine her position. It looks like the orchestra has been saved.

Report here (in Danish).