Category: music

The Florida Philharmonic’s musicians have also renegotiated an ongoing contract, agreeing to allow the management to reduce the length of the orchestra’s season by six weeks, and further agreeing to a freeze in the weekly pay scale. “In addition, health insurance co-payments will be increased from 12 percent for families and 15 percent for individuals to a flat 27 percent for everyone. Long-term disability coverage will be eliminated. Contributions to a pension fund for the musicians will be cut from 8 to 4 percent. And four weeks of paid vacation time this season will be reduced to two weeks next season.”

The San Antonio Symphony has paid its back-owed payroll, but then failed to make payroll this week. “The symphony office has begun calling early subscribers to let them know the money they’ve paid for next season will be needed now.”

The recording indsurty and bug webcasters have made a deal on royalty rates for internet music streaming. “The two sides agreed Thursday on how much big webcasters like Yahoo!, America Online, Microsoft and RealNetworks must pay to broadcast songs over the Internet during 2003 and 2004. The new deal, if approved by the U.S. Copyright Office, will allow the two industries to avoid a lengthy arbitration process to set the royalty rates.”

The recording industry has sued four students who run Napster-like file-sharing sites at three universities. “The suits ask for the highest damages allowable by law, which range up to $150,000 per copyright infringement or, in other words, per pirated song. If awarded, the judgments could run in the millions of dollars. ‘Frankly, we are hopeful this round of lawsuits will send a message to others that they should immediately cease and desist’.”

The recording business has to deal with declining sales and piracy threats. But it also is coming under attack by legislators who – in response to disgruntled musicians – are proposing new laws to regulate recording contracts with musicians. Musicians have been complaining that recording companies have not properly accounted for how they pay musicians…

In the past ten years, American opera companies have staged 189 productions of Puccini’s “La Boheme”. This weekend, New Yorkers have their choice of three Bohemes – at the Met, at New York City Opera, and on Broadway… Anthony Tommasini checks off the goods and bads…

Carnegie is opening a new, $100 million 644-seat third concert hall, underneath its main auditorium. “The hall is preparing to open at a difficult period for the arts, when the weak economy has hurt charitable giving and advance ticket sales. Indeed, Carnegie Hall delayed Zankel Hall’s opening for a year because of the difficult economic climate after the terrorist attacks. Budgeted at $50 million, the new hall eventually cost twice that; all the money has been raised.”

Musicians of the Houston Symphony have ratified a new contract, ending their 23-day strike. “The players made significant financial concessions. They include a reduction in annual minimum salary in the first three seasons covered by the agreement, achieved via unpaid furloughs of from one to three weeks per year. The agreement expires Sept. 30, 2006. However, the two sides agreed that salaries will return to the median of all full-time United States orchestras in the following contract.”

In the wake of the Houston Symphony strike, a lot of bruised egos and hard feelings are going to be inevitable. But if Houstonians really want to live in a serious, cultured city, says the Chronicle’s editorial board, they need to step up their support of what is clearly a vital institution. “Increasing attendance and ticket sales will require a clever marketing campaign and enticing concert programs. More than that, it will require from Houstonians a new and lively appreciation of the symphony and the realization that no important city can be without one. “

On the eve of its official debut, pop superstar Madonna has decided to recall her latest video, which is reportedly a vicious indictment of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The video had been much talked about in light of the unfavorable publicity which has befallen other musicians who dared to question U.S. policy in recent days. But Madonna’s video is said to be much more overt than a simple statement against the war: in its closing moments, the singer “pulls the pin on a hand grenade and angrily tosses it into the crowd – where it is handily caught by a smug George W. Bush lookalike. The pseudo-Bush smiles and reveals the grenade to actually be a cigarette lighter, which he uses to light a big cigar.”