"Dear Mr Zijlstra, culture is an essential part of civilisation. It contributes to social cohesion and economic growth. The Dutch orchestras can make a great contribution, which, by the way, is not synonymous with everything just staying as it was."
Unlike the 'Table of Six', the discussion group of six arts bigwigs who, in their enthusiasm for an entrance with State Secretary of Culture Halbe Zijsltra, proposed more cuts than the emotionless Frisian himself would have dared to think up, the review committee Dutch Orchestras is digging in its heels: as far as they are concerned, not one penny more can come off. At least not in the order of magnitude envisaged by Mr Zijlstra:
"Cutting back on the individual orchestras in the current situation is therefore virtually impossible, which brings us back to the committee's "infamous" first question. If you make 25% cuts to something that is actually already close to the bare minimum, you destroy it."
This is unusually firm language for a committee of wise gentlemen and ladies, who last year honoured dalle Nederlandse orkesetn mnet a visit. The aim was to find out whether something could be improved, and cut back, even though they did not know at the start that a cabinet would come along that just wanted to abolish things without further vision. That was only after they had made all their visits. However, they had found a battlefield before that:
"The staff of most orchestras is small, even understaffed. The workload is so high that when the occasion arises, it can be questioned whether it is still justified. These people have to do everything: running an orchestra business with often complicated planning, solving ad--hoc disasters, securing bookings years in advance, carrying out the continuous search for suitable conductors, soloists, new talent, connecting "the story of classical music" with social themes, coming up with educational projects, presenting their product in the best possible way. The image sometimes painted in the outside world as if orchestra staff have an easy publicly funded job is certainly not true. Earlier, it became clear that with few people, maximum performance is achieved."
They found that mergers were not possible. Only small gains could be made, according to the committee, through increased cooperation and efficiency improvements:
"Orchestra budgets are under constant pressure. Unlike other businesses, orchestras have few opportunities to bring efficiency to their primary process. A Mahler symphony is played at the prescribed tempo with the prescribed number of people. However, costs are rising, wage costs, as well as the hiring of conductors and soloists, are increasing every year. "Passing on" these cost increases to the audience has not worked for decades, in fact not since the Concertgebouw Orchestra became the first orchestra to apply for state subsidy in 19065. Only a very limited part of the audience would be willing to pay the real price (90 euros or more per ticket), the rest would no longer come, or put the money saved into 2 or 3 CDs."
From patronage, the committee expects little. After all, soon everyone will be knocking on the door of the same lenders. And the committee also doubts that it can all be Americanised:
"Popular" comparisons with US orchestras show a rather pale picture on the financial front. Admittedly, US orchestras receive little government funding (the federal government disburses about $55 million in grants to orchestras annually), but by having large endowment funds available, many can rely on operating budgets between $25 million and $45 million annually."
In short, Zijlstra should keep his paws off our orchestras, argues the committee of wise men and women:
"The committee advocates more intensive forms of cooperation of orchestras in obvious areas. Without envisaging a specific model, it can be conceived that such cooperation involves business functions and management, but also joint programming, increasing the playing area and considering a geographically oriented music house structure."
"This requires that there remains the prospect of adequate funding for the sector, that working conditions agreements between orchestras and their employees are redefined, that flexibility is actually embraced, that the focus is placed on artistic performance as well as society, and that governance and supervision are strengthened. However: no golden mountains should be expected from sponsorship and patronage in this regard."
We suspect that Halbe Zijlstra will treat this advice as respectfully as any advice it will be thrust upon - solicited and unsolicited - in the coming period.
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