German music director in public walkout

German music director in public walkout

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norman lebrecht

June 13, 2014

In a move unusual for the discreet operations of German music, Stefan Blunier has made a public announcement of his resignation as general music director of the city of Bonn.

Blunier’s statement blames budgets cuts, ‘demotivating signals and the wanton destruction of yet another cultural institution.’

In Germany. Believe it.

 

blunier

 

 

His resignation takes effect two years from now.

 

Ich bedanke mich für die Unterstützung der Politik in den vergangenen 6 Jahren.

Nur durch die von der Stadt geschaffenen Rahmenbedingungen waren das positive

Erscheinungsbild und die Erfolge des Beethoven Orchester Bonn möglich:

Internationale Tourneen, Schallplattenpreise (u. a. vier ECHO KLASSIK Preise) und eine

momentane Rekordauslastung von 95% in den Konzerten. Ich wähnte mich auf einem

stringenten Weg im Hinblick auf die anstehenden Beethoven – Feierlichkeiten 2020, die

ich gerne mitgestaltet hätte.

Nun scheint sich aber ein politisch gewollter Umschwung zu konkretisieren:

Neben der erneuten Sparauflage in der Oper soll die Personalstärke des Beethoven

Orchester Bonn – einem Flaggschiff wie es Herr OB Nimptsch gerne öffentlich nennt – um

6 Stellen reduziert werden und auch dem Etat drohen weitere Einschnitte.

Dies kann ich nicht mit meinen künstlerischen Intentionen und meinem Sinn für Qualität

vereinbaren und werde deshalb ab dem Sommer 2016 als Generalmusikdirektor der

Stadt Bonn nicht mehr zur Verfügung stehen.

Die Nachhaltigkeit des demotivierenden Signals und die mutwillige Zerstörung einer

weiteren kulturell erfolgreichen Institution werden die Politik und die Verwaltung alleine

zu verantworten haben.

Comments

  • Rob van der Hilst says:

    In stormy times one can proof his capabilities, cleverness and other tools-of-leadership, or just fails to do so. Come on!

  • Brian says:

    Well, Norman, as far as I can tell you got this message out even before the website of the local newspaper here in Bonn did!

  • Dr Peter Lim says:

    A universal and perennial problem. This would get worse unless public funding is forthcoming
    but governments are myopic and indifferent to the arts as their obsession is economic growth.

    • Greg Hlatky says:

      From where did you imagine the government gets the money for arts subsidies? Scrooge McDuck’s vault?

      • AndreasP says:

        “Subsidy” (or in German “Subvention”) is a silly word for enabling culture. It’s an investment, not a subsidy.

        • Greg Hlatky says:

          Thanks for the clarification. From where did you imagine the government gets the money for arts investments? Scrooge McDuck’s vault?

      • Michael Schaffer says:

        No, it comes from taxes. And even though Germany has the biggest cultural budget in the world, it is still just a tiny fraction of the country’s overall budget, and a very small amount of money per capita per year in contrast to the rich cultural landscape that tax money maintains for everybody to enjoy.

  • Pete says:

    Yikes. i’m glad I don’t have to play under his baton. I bet his conducting sucks too.

    What horrible leadership.

    • Eastgate says:

      What an ignorant comment! I have worked with Blunier a couple of times and he is an excellent musician and conductor

    • harold braun says:

      @Pete:I played under his baton,and I can assure you he is a wonderful conductor.You didn´t,and you are pretentious and impudent enough to make such careless,and useless remarks which add nothing to the discussion.Sometimes it helps to think before talking or writing….

  • Eric Trumpler says:

    In order to provide an environment for economic success, investment in cultural infrastructure is just as important as investments in transportation and communication infrastructure. Just another reason why Germany is reasonably successful economically by comparison to many other leading economies. Finland would be another shining example.

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