Posted by Bizzaro Heresy on May 05, 2003 at 13:50:32:
In Reply to: Saving orchestras posted by David Mills on May 04, 2003 at 22:28:15:
I love symphony orchestras and orchestral musicians, and sincerely hope all their financial woes will magically disappear. I also am not opposed to government subsidies for these ensembles if that is what it takes to keep them alive.
Here's the weird part: Since string players represent a tremendous chunk of an orchestra's payroll, is it possible that the string positions could be halved and the remaining players amplified? (I know nothing about strings, and don't know if there is such a thing as violin/viola/cello/bass amplifiers.) This would certainly reduce costs, and might allow an otherwise failing orchestra to survive. Would amplification seriously compromise a lush string sound?
Although it is horrifying to think of some highly-accomplished string players losing their jobs, it is equally sad to see entire orchestras folding.