An American orchestra is rehearsing its final concert
mainThe Green Bay Symphony Orchestra in Wisconsin, founded in 1913, will give its farewell concert on April 11. Audiences are down and there is not enough will in the community to raise money, administrators say.
The last symphony it will play is Shostakovich 5th.
Story here.
The football team seems to be doing well, however.
Do they play real football down there? Or just that American version of rugby?
Their Rugby-derived “football” team is the only major professional sports team in the USA that is community owned. If it (The Green Bay Packers, named after canned-meat packers) were to be sold, the money would go to the local war veterans club. And if only 1 percent of that money could be diverted to the arts, the symphony would be fully funded for decades to come.
Another American Tragedy.
One less. Now we need about 200 to follow suit and Demand/Supply will balance itself out and orchestras wont have to rely on using customes on halloween. What happens in america is a travesty for classical music, at this rate, many orchestras will survive but the music itself will disappear (except the 20-30 warhorses they already play non-stop season after season).
Technology already provides the public with access to the greatest works and performances in history, yet the public does not value it because the local orchestra – focused on survival – is playing ‘Bon Jovi at the Symphony’ this weekend, or some of the other disgusting ‘cross-over’ and ‘outreach’ efforts they undertake, like the last roars of the Titanic.
Let them disappear in peace, and lets uphold those who are left. Classical music was, and will forever be, a niche market.
My 2 cents