Stirling offers his improvements for the current orchestral scene, and
heads the posting: "If I Ran the Zoo...."

Well, Stirling.  There are two things that you would do if you suddenly
gained control of a major, (or minor), symphony orchestra.  First, you
would organize a Stirling S.  Newberry Music Festival; and second, you
would frantically pull together a Beethoven Music Festival to pay for
the resulting loss.

While you are inhaling in outrage, let me explain why this is not at all an
insult.  You are in good company!  I can't think of any composer/conductor
in recent times, (19th,20th), who wasn't dismally aware of how much of
their soul they had to sell in order to bring their own artistic vision to
life--even briefly.  Mahler's last years were spent battling the old ladies
of the New York Philharmonic board.  (see Legrange: "Mahler: The Vienna
Years")

As the music director of a semi-large middle school, I *have* run the zoo.
Oh, the ideas I had that never came to fruition!  Most of my days were
spent dealing with surreal annoyances, like finding myself surrounded by
angry lunch ladies, telling me that they would tell their union if I let
my kids sell candy bars during lunch ever again.  Or having the afternoon
janitor take down the stage props I set up, (before the performance that
night), because it was a fire hazard.  I could go on and on.

I think your idea that, once upon a time *artistic decisions* were
*artistically driven,* might change a little bit after a perusal of a
few biographies, or maybe some of Schoenberg's books, "The Virtuosi,"
"The Great Pianists," or "Lives of the Great Composers." Great stuff.

John Smyth