There was police violence  in yesterday’s demos in The Hague – but not involving the orchestra.

Pieter-Jelle de Boer tells me: ‘The orchestra played at the Hofvijver (the “Court Pond”), the large group of protesters (between 7 000 and 10 000) were at the Malieveld (a traditional location for large demonstrations), the smaller group (several hundreds) were near the entrance of the Tweede Kamer (Parliament) where deliberations on the proposed budget cuts were taking place at the time. This is also where the riot police were located. Things turned sour towards the end of the afternoon, around 5.30 or 6.’

Another correspondent writes: ‘Peaceful protesters to the Arts cuts (they were apparently sitting showing peace hand signs on the street) were dealt with excessive force by the riot police-symbolic for the government’s treatment of the Arts.’

See for yourselves. Here’s the video (skip the advert).

Protest Malieveld

photo: Frank Kresincc-by-nc-sa/ Niederlande.net

Protests are mounting in The Hague against government decimation of state subsidy.

Here’s video of a protest performance of O Fortuna, from Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, a work created for the Nazi regime. The orchestra was made up of members of all the Dutch orchestras, the choir of several different Dutch soloists, ensembles & choirs. Conductor was Lawrence Renes.

If you recognise principal players and singers in the performance, I’ll insert the credits. If you’re a cop, stay cool.

See previous.

LATE EXTRA: Some viewers have asked whether the street confrontation is genuine, or pieced together from separate video takes in different locations. Anyone able to enlighten us? Thanks to filmmaker Tommy Pearson for pointing this out.

 

LATE LATE EXTRA: I’ve just been told that the riot police where in a completely different part of town from the orchestra. The video was edited to make it appear they were in a standoff. That’s a propaganda trick. Artists should beware of stooping so low. I have changed the healdine above to clarify the situation.

Here it is.

Judge for yourselves if the conductor Mark Gorenstein was making a legitmate criticism of the contestant’s playing – or whether he crossed the line into racial abuse. The soloist is Narek Hakhnazaryan.

Narek Hakhnazaryan

Here’s a rough translation.

“First thing. Do not worry about what he plays, this talent. Your task is to play what is written there in the score, and do it with me. Do not worry about this AUL that is presented here to us – this is Nashimoto’s cousin, I’ve seen it already. We don’t need this. Yes, play with me, please. Everything else is not your buisness. That first thing. Second – you play too loud. In Dvorak. You forgot, that this is not trombone. Whatever he whistles here, you should play softer than him.”

Gorenstein later apologised and withdrew from further participation in the competition.

Classical music in South America (Venezuela honourably excepted) seems to be a long-running series of shootouts.

In Brazil they force musicians to re-audition for their jobs and fire those who don’t.

In Ecuador, they are trying the same gambit.

But nothing beats the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, which is suing seven musicians for the losses of an unending strike – in reality a lockout by the government-backed house administration. Placido Domingo has refused to sing there again until the matter is resolved.

Here’s the latest dispatch I’ve received.

Dear Norman:

Last week Teatro Colón’s director García Caffi added 8 million pesos to  the 55-million pesos lawsuit against 8 artists, demanding $63 M ($15 million US dollars) from 4 musicians, 3 choir members and the photographer, in compensation for the performances cancelled by the Director during our strike for better salaries and working conditions.

We had a hearing at the Court yesterday. García Caffi did not attend this hearing. The Buenos Aires city government (counseled by a private firm, because the official BA government lawyers declined this case months ago) dropped the lawsuit. Even though this can be considered the beginning of a good faith agreement between the City and its employees, no progress at all has been made in our demands. Teatro Colón’s director has made substantial discounts to the musicians’ salaries in the past three months (in compensation for the strike) and the administrative sanctions haven’t been dropped. Even though we signed an agreement not to stop performances at the last minute, we will keep demanding better salaries and working conditions, and all sanctions and discounts should be dropped. We’ll keep you updated.

Here‘s a translated news report from Tiempo.

Word has just reached me that the Dutch Parliament has approved a government proposal to cut 60 percent from the subsidy received by the excellent Reisopera touring company.

This decision is not just bad for arts. It is bad government.

Why cut 60 percent? If the rightwing coalition wants to get rid of the company, it should abolish the subsidy altogether. If not, it should make the reduction manageable.

A 60 percent cut is chicken government – a bunch of politicians who are too scrawny and scared to take responsibility for the consequences of their decisions. Reisopera will probably have to shut down as a result of the deep cut. The politicians will then say ‘our hands did not shed this blood.’

Well, they did – and with a cowardice akin to Brutus and his friends. It is a shameful decision, a stain on Dutch democracy.