THE MUSIC SALON: classical music, popular culture, philosophy and anything else that catches my fancy...
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Canceling Salzburg
With great regret, I just canceled my Salzburg reservations. I originally asked for ten tickets and was allotted seven, which was ok. I was probably going to pick up a couple more while I was there. But I got an email today from the Festival and due to the curtailed dates and the limited seating, it appeared as if I was going to end up with far fewer than seven! It is a long, long flight to Salzburg from here, so decided to cancel. I am going to do my best to attend next year when they are going to offer a lot of the programming that had to be canceled this year. Very disappointing, but minor compared to the terrible upheavals the whole music world is experiencing.
Let's listen to a concert. Here is the production of Gounod's Faust from the 2016 Festival:
I know there are tragedies aplenty out there, especially with performers but it doesn't hurt to offer a virtual (soft) shoulder punch and say, "Sorry, I feel bad for you." Missing out on a great musical event that only comes once a year ... there are live concerts of the Seattle Symphony I treasure in memory ... if the devil offered to play one again in exchange for a day off my life, I'd probably say 'OK'; the day would have to be one of my last days, though ... you always got to watch the devil when writing up those contracts...!
Oh yes, I feel very grateful for the situation I'm in where I am really not suffering economically. I have one of those jobs that no-one can take away or lay me off from. My heart goes out to the tens of thousands of musicians who are looking at a bleak present and an only slightly less bleak future. Imagine how you must feel as a performer when all of your future bookings just disappear. And no, you are not going to be able to get a job in a restaurant to tide you over.
But I am really going to miss going to Salzburg. I was there as a student decades ago and just loved the place. I've been wanting to go back ever since but last year was the first time I managed it. See my posts from last August for an illustrated account. I guess I will just have to go to twice as many concerts next summer!
Thanks for the commiseration, Dex. There are some concerts that have a permanent place in my memory too.
I know there are tragedies aplenty out there, especially with performers but it doesn't hurt to offer a virtual (soft) shoulder punch and say, "Sorry, I feel bad for you." Missing out on a great musical event that only comes once a year ... there are live concerts of the Seattle Symphony I treasure in memory ... if the devil offered to play one again in exchange for a day off my life, I'd probably say 'OK'; the day would have to be one of my last days, though ... you always got to watch the devil when writing up those contracts...!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I feel very grateful for the situation I'm in where I am really not suffering economically. I have one of those jobs that no-one can take away or lay me off from. My heart goes out to the tens of thousands of musicians who are looking at a bleak present and an only slightly less bleak future. Imagine how you must feel as a performer when all of your future bookings just disappear. And no, you are not going to be able to get a job in a restaurant to tide you over.
ReplyDeleteBut I am really going to miss going to Salzburg. I was there as a student decades ago and just loved the place. I've been wanting to go back ever since but last year was the first time I managed it. See my posts from last August for an illustrated account. I guess I will just have to go to twice as many concerts next summer!
Thanks for the commiseration, Dex. There are some concerts that have a permanent place in my memory too.