Here is a startling idea to solve orchestral financial problems.  Will
it work?

A news Item today on the BBC announced the following:

Orchestra for sale on ebay!
The Belgian-based Beethoven Academie chamber orchestra, doomed to close
due to lack of funding, has put itself up for sale on Ebay!

I went to the ebay site and did indeed find the orchestra up for sale.
The latest bid was 7,700 Euro.

The listing is mostly in Dutch (or flemish, as this is Belgium).  However
a short English translation is included, which I copy below.

   BELGIAN TOP ORCHESTRA DUMPED BY MINISTER BERT ANCIAUX

   The Beethoven Academie is a typical chamber orchestra, who's
   orchestral form is based on the form for which Beethoven wrote
   his third symphony. Conductor is Herve Niquet.
   
   Since Flemish Cultural Minister Bert Anciaux decided not to give
   us any subsidy for the next three years, this excellent orchestra
   is doomed to die. Although Beethoven Academie has planned 17
   productions for the next season of which some are coproductions
   with well-established houses as the Royal Flemish Ballet, Wayn
   Traub, Transparant. Other productions are concerts with Natalia
   Gutmann and Yossif Ivanov and also operas from Haydn till Honegger.
   All this will be wiped of the Flemish cultural platform thanks
   to Minister Anciaux and Herman Baeten head of the advice committee.
   
   As we cannot survive without any subsidy we are forced to sell
   the orchestra to the highest bidder. You can find all the
   information about the orchestra at: http://www.beethovenacademie.be

Should any of the list members be interested in making a bid, The Ebay
listing can be found at

  http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3D320000908140

[Apparently the listing has already been removed.  -Dave]

Philip Jongeneel
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