Mimi Ezust wrote in response to me:

>> Why is it that Baroque music gets so little play at concerts?
>
>For one thing, it is a chamber piece, so if you have a full-sized symphony
>orchestra it is a waste of more than half of the personnel.

Mimi, probably without realizing it, has brought up another area where
symphony orchestras simply do not behave in a rational economic manner.

Mimi essentially said that the amount of supply of a service drives
everything else.  But, in a sensible economic system, supply follows
demand.  When demand goes up, eventually the supply follows - in the
interim, price goes up until the greater supply is available - then price
goes down.  I've heard of businesses that refused to offer MORE than its
current supply; only a symphony orchestra would not offer less than its
supply.  It's like going to an automotive maintainance/repair shop and
requesting a lube job.  The service manager tells you, "Sorry.  We have
a large staff, so you'll have to have additional work done on your car.
Otherwise, you will have to go elsewhere.

There is no economic sense in this, and there are numerous other
examples that clearly reveal that symphony orchestras either know nothing
of economics or just want to disregard what they do know.  The economic
stupidity of these organizations combined with a rigidity of high
proportion, if continued, will doom these entities.

Based on another posting by Denis Fodor, it's good to see that economic
stupidity is not confined to the U.S.  Denis noted that the first concert
in Munich headed by Levine(the $1 million dollar man) was not filled.  The
programming was evidently the culprit.  What genius comes up with a program
that can't even fill the hall on Levine's first night?

Jon has been telling us of the Philadelphia's upcoming season of 20th
century works.  Does this programming fit into the orchestra's short run
plans, which fit into the long-run plans, which fit into the orchestra's
vision? No, and no, and no. There is no vision and no long-term goals.
It's just a knee-jerk response to non-economic stimuli.  Like, "wouldn't
it be cool to have an entire season of 20th century works?"

It is truely astounding that an entire orchestral apparatus can't display
as much sense as a child selling lemonade on a residential sidewalk.  Ah,
but the child has no illusions that he/she is not doing business.  Symphony
orchestras are businesses, and they better get with the program or become
extinct.  Art and good business practices can co-exist.

Also, there are marketing experts all around us.  These orchestras must
go out of their way to avoid these experts, or they just pay them no
attention.

Sometimes, I feel that I'm talking to the wind.  It's not evil or
unethical to do things the smart way, admit that a business does exist,
and hire the right folks to make it all come out well for the orchestra
and its audience.  I'm beginning to think that orchestras are run no
better than government agencies, and we know how bad they are.

Don Satz
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