Newsgroups: bit.listserv.allmusic
Date:         Fri, 11 Sep 1992 15:41:38 EDT
From:         Scott Hammer <SCOTH@WMVM1.CC.WM.EDU>
Subject:      Lite Classics

What prompts orchestras to perform classical pap, er, pop, I believe, is
an unfortunate set of circumstances:

1. Running a symphony orchestra is a *very* expensive proposition.  Ticket
   prices typically only cover 1/3 to 1/2 the actual per seat cost of
   staging the performance.

2. Because of the weak economy, state governments have drastically cut
   funding for the arts.  If memory serves, the state of Michigan eliminated
   arts funding entirely.

3. Corporations have also cut back on their contributions to arts organizations
   and other charities.  This is also somewhat because the weak economy. In
   addition, due to the merge/acquirefest of the '80's, there are many fewer
   corporations arond -- just for one example, Gulf, which was a *major* patron
   of the arts, was merged into Amoco.  At the same time, those corporations
   which are left tend to be saddled with a much higher debt burden, and
   therefore are making charitable contributions at a lower level.

4. For various reasons -- less leisure time, more competition for our enter-
   tainment dollar -- we baby boomers are much less likely to attend symphony
   concerts than our parents' generation.  Moreover, we are even less likely
   to donate money to the local symphony orchestra.  Too, with most all women
   working outside the home these days, symphony women's organizations, which
   did much of the fund raising in the past, have also fallen on hard times.

All of these circumstances result in symphony orchestras making much more
concerted (pardon the pun) marketing efforts, which leads to programming what
they think will draw an audience.  The Richmond Symphony has responded by
starting a couple of new subscription series:

o Champagne Pops:  This is the "Classical Lite" series.  In Richmond, it tends
  to be thematic:  a Strauss program at New Year's, an all-Copland program in
  April, featuring "Appalachian Spring", etc.

o Fast Forward: George Manahan, the RSO music director is something of a force
  in the contemporary classical world -- he's worked with both Reich and Glass,
  among others.  This series lets him be self indulgent, and its quite popular.

Then there are the old standbys -- the Masterworks series (fairly traditional
symphony fare) and the All-Star Pops (the symphony backing up whoever is
touring this year -- Doc Severinsen, Lean Horne, Mel Torme, etc.).

The net.supply.siders will probably argue that this is as it should be -- or-
chestras are responding to the demands of the marketplace.  I'm not sure how
I feel.  The Masterworks series has been reduced from 8 concerts to 6 this
year, and this means less of the repetoire gets performed.  At the same time,
I'm not willing to pay much more than I already do for tickets, I certainly
don't have any money to donate to the symphony, and I don't really have the
time to do volunteer fund-raising.  I guess I want to have my cake and eat it,
too.  Still, it would be a shame if "serious" classical music dies out in
places like Richmond.

-Scott "No Pat Answers" Hammer
 College of William and Mary
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