Sir Simon Rattle is quite clear about it:"The entire musical world must be as horrified and puzzled as I am to see such a massive destruction of orchestral and choral institutions in Holland." (The whole music world must be as shocked and bewildered as I am, at the sight of such wholesale destruction of orchestral and choral institutions in the Netherlands).
The world-famous chief conductor of the equally world-famous orchestra Berliner Philharmoniker has sent an email (from his iPhone, according to the signature) to the Muziekcentrum van de Omroep, which, according to the plans of the new Rutte cabinet, is to be abolished by 2015. Rattle, whose own name is worth millions, takes the dissolution of three orchestras and the Netherlands' only professional choir to be an incalculable loss for artistic life in Europe:
"It is certainly unprecedented in my lifetime, and an incalculable loss to the artistic life of Europe. These institutions, which have been patiently built up over decades, take only a quick signature to destroy, and once lost they are impossible to restore. I would urge those responsible not to weaken Holland's enviable reputation as a cultural centre by this thoughtless and damaging attack."(It is certainly unprecedented in my lifetime, and an incalculable loss for artistic life in Europe. These institutions, patiently built up over decades, can be destroyed with a simple stroke of a pen, but once lost, they cannot possibly be werrebuilt. I urge those responsible not to weaken the Netherlands' enviable position as a cultural centre of the world by this thoughtless and damaging attack).
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