Amid the dire Covid warnings, one crucial fact has been largely ignored: Cases are down 77% over the past six weeks. If a medication slashed cases by 77%, we’d call it a miracle pill. Why is the number of cases plummeting much faster than experts predicted?In large part because natural immunity from prior infection is far more common than can be measured by testing. Testing has been capturing only from 10% to 25% of infections, depending on when during the pandemic someone got the virus. Applying a time-weighted case capture average of 1 in 6.5 to the cumulative 28 million confirmed cases would mean about 55% of Americans have natural immunity.* * *One of the best streaming series during the pandemic has been the one at Wigmore Hall. And they are steaming ahead: WIGMORE HALL LINES UP 200 UK MUSICIANS FOR 40 CONCERTS.* * *
And here is more good news: Missing your culture fix? Good news, Glyndebourne will return this summer.
Glyndebourne has just confirmed that it will proceed with its annual opera festival this summer. Like most events in our pandemic age, many alterations will be made to ensure that social distancing and other safety precautions are in place - audiences will be capped at 600, which is 50 per cent of the 1,200 person capacity, and entrances to the festival's famed fine dining experiences will be staggered - but the prestigious event's announcement is the first sign that the traditional British summer season, however altered, may be back on track.
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How Bang on a Can helped remake the world of new music:
These days, Bang is a sprawling artistic conglomerate, with an annual budget of $2 million to $2.5 million, a dedicated record label, a virtuoso chamber ensemble (the Bang on a Can All-Stars) to carry its branding internationally, an active commissioning program, a summer residency and a distinctive performance format — the new-music marathon concert — that is practically a trademarked part of the organization’s identity.
The Bang on a Can Marathon, in fact, is one of the few musical ventures to make a graceful transition to the COVID-era virtual concert hall. The latest installment is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 21, with four hours’ worth of premieres by Eve Beglarian, Gabriel Kahane, Jakhongir Shukur, Alvin Lucier and others.
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Here is a really interesting look at business models and music: Five Ways Classical Music Is Pivoting.
According to Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup, there are ten different kinds of pivots. At least six out of them are relevant to classical music.
• Zoom-in Pivot: A single theme or event of the original season becomes the focus of the entire season.
• Audience Segment Pivot: An event is a better fit for an audience outside the core audience, requiring a new audience segment.
• Business Architecture Pivot: A venue or arts group switches from a low-volume/high-margin to a high-volume/low-margin model.
• Value Capture Pivot: A venue or arts organization changes how it collects revenue from customers.
• Channel Pivot: A venue or arts organization identifies a better way to reach its audience.
• Tech Pivot: A venue or arts organization uses different technology to reach its audience.
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For our envoi, here is a performance of the Rite of Spring in the piano four-hands arrangement with Daniel Barenboim and Martha Argerich:
Re Glyndebourne. See this is the problem which we discussed last year. Most events can't survive on 50% attendance, even for their best shows. Nor can restaurants etc. Businesses are closing apace because they can't see an easy path to 100% attendance capacity. That's why I recommended more outdoor events but in any event that is the crux of the issue going forward. Also I fear that each flu season will now evoke a wave of hysteria. But no creative thinking exists anywhere in the arts establishment.
ReplyDeleteAt least, not on the business side!
ReplyDeleteAn academic conference I was set to attend in Austria in late summer has just postponed for next year. The organizers say that while travel between Schengen countries might be possible, it is already clear from the local authorities that borders will remain closed to third countries until at least the autumn. So, don't get your hopes up about Salzburg.
ReplyDeleteYes not on the business side is what I meant. I fear they are just waiting for subsidies. These will not happen, at least in the amounts necessary for them to survive. If they don't fully subsidize local restaurants or local music spaces why would they subsidize local music performances?
ReplyDeleteRe: the Ries article
ReplyDelete1. Zoom In Pivot - don't see this as helping and to some extent orchestras and music spaces have already done this from time to time
2. Audience Segment Pivot : Well the classical music spaces would like to get the pop audience attendance but highly unlikely since even those pop music establishments are folding under 50% attendance. But that might work in certain atypical situations.
3.Business Architecture Pivot: Infeasible for classical music or even jazz.
4. Value Capture Pivot : This could work to some extent but gulp would require business creativity from arts org.
5. Channel Pivot : this would include such things as outdoor concerts and better outreach to potential classical concert fans. This again requires business acumen but might work.
6. Tech Pivot: The Met has been most aggressive in this direction but their vehicle the movie theater is KOed. The web has been very difficult to maximize revenue except in the most general way. But this could be combined with Value Capture. I don't see much hope for any but the largest groups to benefit though.