 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: OpusII
Date: 2006-07-07 09:06
It's terrible news... I always respected the way the Belgians funded their professional orchestra's and music education. I don't think they should follow the same route as our government (Netherlands) and destroy many of the professional orchestra's that where build over years.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2006-07-07 13:27
They took themselves off e-Bay, because e-Bay does not allow the selling of people. (Wish I had the reference, but I read it in passing.)
Best regards,
Mary Vinquist
(Mrs. Ken)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: BelgianClarinet
Date: 2006-07-07 17:10
It's quite a complex story this funding, but the main issue is : there isn't enough money.
Every gouvernement here seems to try and find another system to distribute the money. This year there is a bit more money than last year, but classical orchestra's, get less and the Beethoven Academie gets nothing anymore. More money goes to rock, pop and festival organisations.
I don't know the real motivation behind this particular decision to stop funding this orchestra (quality ? lack of management skills, wrong dossier ? ..), but the biggest error is that this funding scheme works with periods of 4 year. Maybe long in a politicians life, but short for an orchestra. How can they get well organized and up to standard if they only have a financial horizon of about 4 years ?
Apart from that, due to the complex structure of this country (2, actually 3 communities, a 'special' capital, etc..) we simply seem to have too many orchestra's, and they don't have the quality we want. But restructuring this is even more dangerous, because it would need very hard unpopular decisions. Also lots of musicians are 'protected' by laborlaws, and don't meet up to standards (anymore).
As a result of all this, the good guys don't always get what they diserve (the money, attention and support) and the bad guys neither (get fired).
We could definately make ourselves some good orchestra's, nicely funded, good quality and serving all needs (small, big,contemporary,classic, romatic,....) and they would provide nice income for the good and motivated musicians we have, but this would need some 'cleaning" first.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: thatguy
Date: 2006-07-08 14:45
> It's quite a complex story this funding, but the main issue is
> : there isn't enough money.
>
> More money goes to rock, pop and festival organisations.
Yes, I think it's pretty sad that the Ministry of Culture subsidized Kate Ryan's Eurosong crudd for 60.000 Euros, but all of a sudden can't find the means to support 1 orchestra. And she isn't even good...
> Apart from that, due to the complex structure of this country
> (2, actually 3 communities, a 'special' capital, etc..) we
> simply seem to have too many orchestra's, and they don't have
> the quality we want.
My experience with Belgian performing ensembles is that they're too busy playing buddy politics and rigging jobs for an inner circle of mafia-esque musicians that aren't very good. This politics has definitely left a mark over time leaving Belgian professional orchestras to be nothing but rather well paid amateurs, especially when you put them in an international perspective.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: diz
Date: 2006-07-10 01:57
Interesting that you say this about the standard of Belgian orchestras, thatguy, because I've purchased a couple of mediocre recordings on Naxos feature the BTR Orchestra and I thought I just happened to get the two dodgy ones on Naxos' catalogue ... maybe not.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2006-07-10 02:07
diz wrote:
> I thought I just happened to get the two dodgy ones on Naxos'
> catalogue ... maybe not.
I find a lot of the Naxos catalog to be "dodgy" at best - but the price is right for those pieces I just want to hear a couple of times.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: diz
Date: 2006-07-11 00:25
Mark - you right on the dodgy thing. But then again there are some pretty good Naxos recordings too ... though they seem to be in the minority.
Do you have an American version of "dodgy"?
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2006-07-11 00:29
diz wrote:
> Do you have an American version of "dodgy"?
What, 'dodgy' isn't an American term?
Honestly, my early years were in New England, where usage is a lot closer to British. In my few years in Portland, ME., living on the 'Western Prom', I had a neighbor who referred to Maine as 'one of the colonies'. Really.
RIP, Mrs. Sills ...
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: D Dow
Date: 2006-07-12 12:15
In regards to the Naxos label...as of late many of their recordings are much better. A super Quartet Pour Le Fin de Temps was released and is played by members of a Toronto group called Amici. It is really quite impressive.
As well a very fine Varese recording has been released as well as some other recordings of of chamber music. Recent recordings of Weill and Walton have received great critical accolade as well. I particularly like the Bournemouth recordings done by Kees Bakel who is a super musician.
However, that being said some people don't like the Naxos recordings because of the type of sound world they create in their orchestral catogue..they tend to use more of hall like sound.
David Dow
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2006-07-12 12:48
D Dow wrote:
> In regards to the Naxos label...as of late many of their
> recordings are much better. A super Quartet Pour Le Fin de
> Temps was released and is played by members of a Toronto group
> called Amici. It is really quite impressive.
And not very recent ... 1st released 1995, entered into Naxos catalog 2001.
> However, that being said some people don't like the Naxos
> recordings because of the type of sound world they create in
> their orchestral catogue..they tend to use more of hall like
> sound.
I find many of the Naxos recordings 'dodgy' because IMHO in their catalog there's a lot of CDs with not very good playing ... there's gems in the catalog, but I find I have to listen to a few cuts before I plunk down my money, as opposed to, let's say, DG, where even if I don't like the particular orchestra I can pretty much guarantee the playing will be superb.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
