Rameau’s town abolishes its orchestra

Rameau’s town abolishes its orchestra

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norman lebrecht

September 09, 2014

In the tercentenary year of the death of Jean-Philippe Rameau, the composer’s native town of Dijon has decided to get rid of its orchestra.

The mayor, refusing to cough up 330,000 Euros that would have saved l’Orchestre Dijon Bourgogne,  said: ‘this town is not a cash machine’.

He’s right. It’s nothing without Rameau (and mustard).

rameau

Comments

  • Jan de Jong says:

    Please sign here to support the orchestra:
    http://www.petitions24.net/sauvez_lorchestre_dijon_bourgogne

    Friday night, the orchestra gives a special concert to gather support.
    http://www.orchestredijonbourgogne.fr/

  • Will Duffay says:

    The irony of the West allowing its musical heritage to wither and die through ignorance, short-sightedness and prejudice, while the East invests massively in that culture for reasons of cultural and political advancement, is rather striking and depressing.

    • John Borstlap says:

      Indeed. The result of a general failing of education, which produces politicians without any understanding of their own civilization and culture. This is how it begins…… for how it ends, see Edward Gibbon.

  • Jens Stenz (violinmaker,Denmark) says:

    What a tragedy to strike Dijon and those citizens who love music.
    I visited Dijon in 2000 and saw the beautiful new concerthall which in itself has been an inspiration for other great concerthalls in Europe.
    But what good is it to have a beautiful concerthall when there is no music inside.?
    We have to watch out and preserve western music and culture before it goes down the drain. My full respect to those musicians in Dijon who have worked hard to serve music and those who enjoyed it. And my pity to those politicians who aparently haven’t been able to see or understand the importance and value of great classical orchestral music. Shakespeare was right..nobody gets bigger by chopping other peoples heads off !
    Sincerely
    Jens Stenz
    Violinmaker in Denmark

  • Colin Reed says:

    Whilst I agree wholeheartedly that it is a huge loss to shut down this orchestra, I don’t feel it’s right to say that the town is nothing without Rameau. As close as a subject is to our hearts, such dismissive nonsense is not called for.

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