I was going to save this for Friday, but we really don't need any more depressing items in the Friday Miscellanea. GRIM NEWS: ONE-THIRD OF MET OPERA MUSICIANS HAVE QUIT NEW YORK.
Musicians of the Metropolitan Opera orchestra, who have been upaid since April 1 this year, say 30 percent of their number can no longer afford to live in the New York area and are seeking new lives elsewhere.
Peter Gelb, the Met general manager, has said he will only pay the musicians if they agree to radically reduced rates.
Federal support for the musicians is non-existent.
I noted a couple of weeks ago that 30% of classical musicians in Sweden are leaving the business. This is likely to get worse before it gets better. The question is, if you are a musician, where are you going to go and what are you going to do? The news gets even grimmer when you start asking those questions.
This would seem to be a suitable envoi:
You are referring to v 11, I suppose, of the third lesson from the Prophet Job: Omnis pópulus ejus gemens, et quærens panem: dedérunt pretiósa quæque pro cibo ad refocillándam ánimam, all her people wail and sigh, seeking bread: they are selling their precious things for food to relieve their spirits.
ReplyDelete'Her' in this case may be Sweden, the Metropolitan Opera, or NYC.
I'm sorry that quote did not come to mind, for it is very appropriate.
ReplyDeleteHa; I thought that was why you used the Couperin; it certainly does have a mood.
ReplyDeleteI'm not the Bible scholar that some of my commentators are!
ReplyDelete