Postponed until?

Still an empty hall in Atlanta...

A cursory glance at the Atlanta Symphony website indicates that concerts are "postponed through November 8."  Since there has been little to no public announcement of movement between management and the Player's Association, one is left to assume that another notice is in order (especially since November 8 is this Saturday).

As my previous post posited the view that management was more or less dragging its feet (to save even more cash?) when the parties seemed so close to an agreement.  With a continuation of that tactic, it's painfully obvious that the management at the WAC has any idea of the mechanics of orchestra operation.  Does Ms. Hepner (chief of the Woodruff Arts Center) think that the orchestra can just show up and play a gig with little to no notice?

For the uninformed, this is Virginia Hepner.  She's a banker.  (Surprise!)

So many variables some into play:

• The availability of the (meager) 77 musicians left on the roster.  How many have other commitments due to lack of movement on the lockout?

• For that matter, the availability of soloists who may have accepted other guaranteed dates, given that the ASO has been in such turmoil.

• And what of those fussy rehearsals?  It takes an ensemble some time to jell even after a summer hiatus; it could be weeks now, given the fact that the members of the ASO have had so much unexpected time away from each other.

The time has come for Hepner and Co. to step up (and at least update the website).  Even if an agreement--undoubtedly to the detriment of the players--were signed at this precise moment, one cannot predict when the ASO can be reassembled and become concert-ready.  One thing is certain:  the remaining players will work harder toward that goal than management has demonstrated during the disastrous past few months.