A wedding goes forward in NY while a marriage in Atlanta is in trouble

Le Nozze di Figaro

It's now old news that the Metropolitan Opera unions avoided Peter Gelb's threatened lockout by agreeing (at 6:15 a.m.! last Monday) to concessions considerably lower than those demanded by the General Director.  Gelb had all along insisted that labor costs be decreased by 16-17%; in fact, the real number was an immediate 3.5% drop to be followed by another 3.5% in six months.  That will be followed by a 3% increase in the fourth year of the deal.  Of particular note is that there appear to be no changes in work rules, so it is tantamount that management rein in what have become excessive overtime costs.

In addition, the Wall Street Journal reports, following the agreement reached with the stagehand's union, that financial analyst Eugene Keilin would stay on in his capacity to oversee implementation of budget costs. These will also include over $11 million per year in non-laror-related expenses (think the $165,000 poppy field).  It is important to note that this action marks the first time in the company's history that Met unions have agreed to salary/benefit concessions, thus assuring that the season will begin with the September 22 opening of Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro (a new production by Richard Eyre and conducted by James Levine).

Other productions of note for the 2015-16 season include

• David Robertson (St. Louis Symphony) conducts a powerful new production by director Tom Morris of John Adams The Death of Klinghoffer.

• Renee Fleming appears in a New Year's Eve opening production of Lehar's Merry Widow.  Susan Graham fills in for Fleming later in the run.

• The seemingly indefatigable Valery Gergiev leads a double bill of Tchaikovsky's Iolanta (featuring Anna Netrebko) and Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle.

• Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi leads a Cavalleria/Pagliacci double bill.

AND, two of the company's 18 revivals include two rarely heard works:  Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, by Dmitri Shostakovich and Stravinsky's Rake's Progress.

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Atlanta Symphony Hall--a case for a larger venue?

If only life were as grand in Atlanta.  Two years ago, that city's orchestra (along with the Minnesota) was embroiled in a bitter contract negotiation, resulting in a reduction of forces and $5.2 million in concessions, this after a two-week lockout.  Now, Jennie Jarve writes in ArtsAtl, 

Among the focus of disagreement are proposals to cut musicians’ pay and health care and scale back the size of the orchestra. Both sides have repeatedly declined to discuss details of contract negotiations with the media. Stanley Romanstein, ASO’s president and CEO, announced last week that the company ended its fiscal year 2014 on target and on budget, but he turned down requests for an interview. Paul Murphy, associate principal violist and president of the Players’ Association, which represents musicians, would say only that they hope to reach consensus by the September 6 deadline.

So, if the cash is there, why the need for further cuts?  One understands that both ticket sales and donations continue to fall, perhaps because the public feels that they have an inferior product.  Players are leaving the orchestra in increased numbers   Jarve further notes, three senior members retired in 2012, one in 2013, and four more — with a combined service of 182 years — retired this summer. Two players, Colin Williams and Richard Deane, take on full-time positions with the New York Philharmonic in the fall. Another, George Curran, became bass trombonist for that orchestra last year.

One has to feel that there is not a pleasant end in sight for Atlanta, its orchestra and its musicians.