Bill Karzas:

>I will stipulate that Jim Tobin has a right to feel anyway he does about
>the economics of concert going, and even to tell me about it *once*, but
>ubnless he has some altenative to suggest, it would seem appropriate to
>stop there.

Well, I certainly seem to have made a direct hit on a sensitive nerve.
Others have certainly gone on an on in defense of market imperatives
without such an ad hominem.

So, alternatives.  Unless all is inevitable there are some.  (1) Orchestra
boards and management could negotiate harder, or with different conductors,
with high skills and lower profiles.  I am involved in negotiating
expensive agreements myself (there I go again, with the first person
singular) so I know that it is possible to walk away from unsatisfactory
offers.  (2) Individuals could refuse to give money which perpetuates the
practice of overpaying music directors.  I'll stop there for now.

Jim Tobin