Dan Wakin’s article in the 3/3/2010 edition of the New York Times does an excellent job at reporting on the Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra’s working conditions. According to his report, the musicians earn $40 per concert with no per diems and a number of the musicians go on record talking about unsatisfactory working and travel conditions. If this doesn’t sound familiar, it should. At the end of 2005, conductor Volker Hartung and his Cologne New Philharmonic made international news after French authorities arrested and jailed him for two days as a result of breaking French labor law…
Volker Hartung
Revisiting Disposable Labor
The 10/7/08 edition of MusicalAmerica.com published an article by Frank Cadenhead which reports that conductor Volker Hartung was convicted of “clandestine work” and sentenced him to three months in jail and a 10,000 Euros fine by a court in Strasbourg on 10/3/08. Long time Adaptistration readers will remember Hartung from a series of articles over 2005 and 2006 which chronicle Hartung’s original arrest in France for violating French Labor Law by underpaying musicians…
Disposable Labor? Part 2
This installment will continue to examine some recent events involving the Cologne New Philharmonic’s hiring practices in order to determine whether or not an abundance of musician labor is being used as a force for positive change or toward more exploitative goals…
Disposable Labor?
Following yesterday’s introduction which foreshadowed some issues which will impact how some orchestras function, today’s article will examine how recent events in Europe may help U.S. orchestras avoid some potential problems…
Lower Ticket Prices = Jail Time
There was an interesting article in the 11/23/05 edition of the L.A. Times by AP writer, Rhea Wessel, about an event which recently transpired in France. Apparently, Volker Hartung, the Cologne New Philharmonic conductor and executive administrator, was put in jail for two days while being quested over the charge that he violated French labor law by underpaying his musicians. According to Hartung, that was necessary in order to charge lower than average ticket prices…