Atlanta Ballet to scrap orchestra

[morosco]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 4:06pm

07-21-2006
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Recorded music will save thousands of dollars
Ballet officials told members of the company's orchestra Thursday that they won't renew the musicians' three-year contract, which expires at the end of August, said production director David Tatu. The ballet plans to offer a severance package to the 48 union musicians in its orchestra.

"This was a hard decision," Tatu said. "These people have been a part of our family."

Andrew Cox, secretary-treasurer of the Atlanta Federation of Musicians Local 148-462, said Thursday that he couldn't comment on the ballet's decision because he hadn't had time to discuss it with members and the union's lawyers.

Tatu said that using prerecorded music will cost less than $80,000 a year, versus the nearly $500,000 spent last year for live music.

The change should not be a big adjustment for dancers, because the Atlanta Ballet already uses recorded music for its traveling shows and for rehearsals, said artistic director John McFall. Typically, the ballet has used live music in its performances at the Fox Theatre.

The ballet's most recent financial filing, for the fiscal year ending July 2005, show it in the black with an annual budget of more than $7 million. This year, however, the ballet is operating at a loss and needs to cut costs in order to stay on track financially, Tatu said.

The Atlanta Ballet is facing some of the same challenges as other arts organizations, including people cutting back on their discretionary spending because of rising gas prices, Tatu said.

Many professional ballet companies have begun using recorded music to save money, although leading ballets such as the New York City Ballet and the San Francisco Ballet still employ live orchestras, said James Fayette, an executive with the American Guild of Musical Artists in New York. "Orchestras are very expensive," he said.

Even the famed American Ballet Theatre faced a threatened strike last year by musicians when the company wanted the right to use a virtual orchestra machine called a Sinfonia for some productions. The ballet later signed a contract agreeing to use only live musicians.

The issue also has affected Broadway. In 2003, almost every musical on Broadway shut down for four days after contract negotiations with musicians broke down. Producers had hoped to keep the shows going by replacing live musicians with virtual orchestras, but actors refused to cross picket lines.

In contrast to the Atlanta Ballet's decision, the Gwinnett Ballet Theatre is moving ahead with its fledgling orchestra, said Predrag Gosta, founder and artistic director of the acclaimed New Trinity Baroque early music ensemble. He was tapped to be the Gwinnett Ballet's new music director and conducted a 28-piece orchestra for the ballet's production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in March.

Gosta said he was saddened by the Atlanta Ballet's news.

"It does surprise me," Gosta said. "I would have thought the Atlanta Ballet would be stronger than a lot of smaller companies. It suggests a bad future for all of us. On the other hand, I do understand what it's like to deal with financial difficulties in the arts."

[Magdalene]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 4:08pm

Pittsburgh did the same thing, and attending the ballet isn't fun anymore!

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 4:16pm

I saw the National Ballet of Cuba when I lived in NYC and they performed to pre-recorded music. It's definitely not the same. As a result, I would probably choose not to attend performances with a pre-recorded track.

[JustAGuy]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 4:18pm

I wonder if the ticket prices will change to reflect the savings that the company will now be receiving?

[JailyardGuy]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 4:18pm

?!?!? Dirty c*cks*cking f*ckface vile c*nt rat bast'ids!!!

I mean...*ahem*...as a professional classical musician, I am extremely saddened and hurt by this decision. They are only doing a disservice to their clientele, and I fear that they shall reap the financial repercussions of their actions.

(at least I goddamn HOPE they do, the finks.)

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 4:19pm

Ouch. I've been a supporter for the Atlanta Ballet for years, and this does not make me happy. I don't think it's a wise move at all.