Orchestral Strikes

[MrGongGong]

That is not totally correct: all the BBC, opera and well-known regional symphony orchestras are fully contracted although some, mainly Section Principal, players may have their own personal contracts which make them not totally tied down to the orchestra. Most will have 'rota days' giving them paid time off; this is very important as people in 'proper' jobs can take part of their holiday entitlement for weddings etc. This is not possible in a situation where the whole organisation takes its holidays at the same time. I know of one orchestra whose contract allowed time off for 'weddings and funerals in the player's close family'. One player was refused this as his Grandfather was not classed by the manager as 'close family' Mind you, he did go to the funeral but that is another story which may be told one day - not yet.

I said "most"
which, obviously, excludes the BBC, ROH, CBSO and a few others

and "technically"

[InspectorHector]

BBC (four symphony orchestras), CBSO, RLPO, Halle, Bournemouth SO, RSNO, RNSinf - all are full-time salaried, contracted orchestras, not freelance in any sense. That's a majority, I believe, if we're talking about symphony orchestras (the RNSinf being somewhere between symphony and chamber orchestra). At least some of the opera orchestras are also fulltime, contracted bodies. In symphonic terms, freelance orchestras are a London phenomenon.

[pastoralguy]

BBC (four symphony orchestras), CBSO, RLPO, Halle, Bournemouth SO, RSNO, RNSinf - all are full-time salaried, contracted orchestras, not freelance in any sense. That's a majority, I believe, if we're talking about symphony orchestras (the RNSinf being somewhere between symphony and chamber orchestra). At least some of the opera orchestras are also fulltime, contracted bodies. In symphonic terms, freelance orchestras are a London phenomenon.

Exactly, Hector! Welcome to the forum.

[MrGongGong]

BBC (four symphony orchestras), CBSO, RLPO, Halle, Bournemouth SO, RSNO, RNSinf - all are full-time salaried, contracted orchestras, not freelance in any sense. That's a majority, I believe, if we're talking about symphony orchestras (the RNSinf being somewhere between symphony and chamber orchestra). At least some of the opera orchestras are also fulltime, contracted bodies. In symphonic terms, freelance orchestras are a London phenomenon.

Off the top of my head (and i'm not sure that the distinction between "symphony" and "chamber" ensembles makes sense any more)

Britten Sinfonia, London Sinfonietta, BCMG, Viva, Aurora, LPO, Philharmonia, LSO, LCO, ECO, Orchestra of the Swan, RPO, St Martin in the Fields, OAE, LMP, Southbank Sinfonia,

and probably many more

I think it's important to understand that "full-time,salaried" doesn't mean that the players ONLY play for one band

[InspectorHector]

Forgive me - I understood the original poster to be talking about symphony orchestras in the U.S. Of course there are many freelance orchestras of all kinds in the UK, mostly chamber orchestras or orchestras that play for ballet and the theatre except for the big four in London.

[Zucchini]

I think it's important to understand that "full-time,salaried" doesn't mean that the players ONLY play for one band

Quite so. The CBSO/MU agreement has the following reasonable constraint:

"EXLUSIVITY
The Musician shall not accept any engagement which conflicts with the interests of the Company."

[Once Was 4]

BBC (four symphony orchestras), CBSO, RLPO, Halle, Bournemouth SO, RSNO, RNSinf - all are full-time salaried, contracted orchestras, not freelance in any sense. That's a majority, I believe, if we're talking about symphony orchestras (the RNSinf being somewhere between symphony and chamber orchestra). At least some of the opera orchestras are also fulltime, contracted bodies. In symphonic terms, freelance orchestras are a London phenomenon.

The Opera North and Welsh National Opera Orchestras are full time contracted; the Scottish Opera Orchestra was put on to reduced hours from full time some years ago (and their chorus dispensed with)

The comment about players not always being tied down to the one orchestra was well said; very few of my colleagues when I was at Opera North did not have outside freelance activities - whether this be teaching or playing (usually both as in my case). One violinist loved the job but, on her days and evenings off, preferred to do other things rather than play the violin. but she was an exception. Some family people depended on the extra money to give them a reasonable lifestyle; this should be borne in mind by anybody who thinks that the orchestral musician's life is one of luxury. It was not unknown, if we were called that day for the evening show only, for a couple of people to come in totally exhausted from a day's teaching (they would quip that they had "come to work for a rest") If we were rehearsing 10.30 to 5.30 I would often drive 40 miles to North Yorkshire to do an evening's teaching in one of the public schools, should that be the only free time I had that week (which it could be if we were mainly rehearsing that week). And much as I loved my job, to go and play with different orchestras - even amateur ensembles of mixed abilities - was always a welcome change.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Some family people depended on the extra money to give them a reasonable lifestyle; this should be borne in mind by anybody who thinks that the orchestral musician's life is one of luxury.

No indeed. When I worked for a local authority music service, we did two "playing weeks" per year. One of these meant we all played together as an orchestra for a week in a string of secondary schools. When I suggested we should learn some new pieces to vary the diet a little, the response was: "Oh, it's only 'playing week'". I replied that we were probably the best paid orchestra in the country for that week, and we should make the effort. The point was taken.

[Demetrius]

... why our Orchestras seem to have more strikes than the crime de la creme on your end...

You asked for Europe to in your first, so here is my bit: In Germany and likely most continental countries in Europe, art subsidies are much more extensive than in the USA. This shapes the Art World, and shifts the way wage fights happen.

The top tier has often little need to fight for wages - it is understood that to get the best players, you have to pay them better. Therefore, if Leipzig wants to keep the Gewandhaus extraordinary, they have to pump money into it. And the city does.

Even for "lesser" orchestras, it's seldom about the wages themselves (public workers pay schemes). If they are targeted by cut backs, they don't loose 10 % of each players wage, but 10 % of their players. Cutting the size of the orchestra, fusing 2 orchestras together, closing the orchestra down outright. In those situations, a strike doesn't necessarily help much. But since its about subsidies and money doled out by politicians, public outrage can help.

Take the orchestra of Gera/Altenburg. No big household name, but an orchestra with attached opera, theater and puppet playing departments (ballet too, I think). The result of one of the mentioned fusions, btw. When a massive cutback was proposed a few years back (I think about 20-30 orchestra players; the puppet division and either drama or ballet), the population went somewhat beserk and forced the majors of these smallish cities to cough up another 7 figure sum to secure the situation without the cuts. Helps when it's an election year, I suppose.

[MrGongGong]

Hummm

https://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/node/211179

[Dave2002]

So maybe all the performances in one week at the ROH are needed to pay the most well paid member of staff.

The ROH has about 2660 seats. Do the maths.

Do we really think that's a bad idea? I don't know - sometimes very good people are worth paying for. There is an issue about subsidies, though.

[MrGongGong]

So maybe all the performances in one week at the ROH are needed to pay the most well paid member of staff.

The ROH has about 2660 seats. Do the maths.

Do we really think that's a bad idea? I don't know - sometimes very good people are worth paying for. There is an issue about subsidies, though.

I think the gap between what players earn and SOME others earn isn't very healthy. Though the one person who I know on that list DOES work incredibly hard to an extraordinarily high standard.
Very rich people will always make a case for "good people" being "worth paying for" regardless of what they actually do.