John G. Deacon ([log in to unmask]) wrote: >The magnificence of the BPO "live" was truly stupendous (even allowing for >2-3 fluffs in the brass in the Bruckner 7) - and then last night to find >oneself saddened in hearing the excellent BBC SO (Beethoven 9/Haitink >again) and realising just what money and good working conditions do for >Berlin compared to London. I think it's worth pointing out that the BPO has been publically subsidised since 1930! In that year they were on the verge of bankruptcy; this was averted by funding jointly provided by Berlin city government, the Prussian state government and the German government. However (and, to quote Michael Caine, not a lot of people know this) a condition of that financial help was that the conductor, a certain Wilhelm Furtwaengler, should sign a 10-year contract with the orchestra. This commitment was taken VERY seriously by WF and is one of the reasons he wouldn't leave Germany in the 1930s. Deryk Barker [log in to unmask]