San Francisco Classical Voice

Will Berkeley Lose Little-Used Strad?

In the catalogue for the auction of Isaac Stern's estate, an item is identified as a 1687 Stradivarius owned by "a North American University," with a price tag of about $1 million. Could it be the famed instrument from UC-Berkeley's Salz Collection? Apparently, the insurance policy restricts use of the violin so strictly that one wouldn't know it's here even while it is.

AGMA Objects to Western Opera Cancellations

AGMA, the American Guild of Musical Artists, has filed unfair labor practice charges against the San Francisco Opera over the way management handled cancellation of Western Opera Theater tours "in the foreseeable future." The Opera's public relations representative told SFCV that, having just received communication from AGMA, the administration does not yet have a comment.

The Guild represents artists and production personnel employed by SFO and Western Opera, according to collective bargaining agreements. AGMA charges, filed by Guild attorney Gail Lopez-Henriquez, of the Philadelphia firm of Freedman & Lorry, claim that the Opera administration failed to advise the Guild about cancelling WOT tours, much less bargain with AGMA about a planned action, which will impact those employed by Western Opera.

Federal labor law, according to Lopez-Henriquez, prohibits any employer from going out of business without prior negotiation with the union representing its employees over both the decision itself, and the effects of the Company's actions. She cited paragraphs 1 and 5 of Section 8(a) of the National Labor Relations Act about actions "interfering with, restraining, and coercing employees."

The Guild notification came in response to an announcement by Sheri Greenawald, director of the San Francisco Opera Center, that the administration will discontinue Western Opera Theater tours, cancelling the 2003 Barber of Seville touring production. The reason, according to Greenawald's memo is that "the costs, scope and purpose of the Western Opera Theater tour were no longer in line with the Opera Center's need for fiscal responsibility."

The Guild charges have gained added significance in the context of the Opera's current labor negotiations at a time of mounting deficits. AGMA is in the process of preparing collective bargaining proposals for its upcoming contract negotiations with the Opera. "This action by the Western Opera Theater, coupled with recent statements by the Opera's general director about its fiscal problems, foretell a difficult negotiation," according to union president Linda Mays.

"Although we are prepared to work with the San Francisco Opera in those negotiations to find ways in which to trim unnecessary costs, while maintaining the integrity of its productions, we will do everything within our power to protect the rights of the artists we represent. We will never tolerate violations of the law under the guise of fiscal necessity and we're troubled that the Opera's unilateral action, in canceling its tours, will exacerbate an already difficult situation," Mays said.

AGMA executive director Alan S. Gordon added: "Our key bargaining proposal to the Opera is to have two working AGMA artists put on its Board of Directors. Although we tend to accept the Opera's claim that it must cut its operating expenses, subject to our review of its fiscal records, we think its crucial to have direct representation on its Board. Our goal is to assure that the cuts made by the Opera do not interfere with the quality of its presentations or with the health and safety of our members, and that the men and women who create the beauty of the Company's music have their artistic, financial and contractual rights guaranteed and enforced to the maximum extent possible in today's socio-economic climate."

Cancellations: Order of the Day, Sign of the Times

It took decades to build up a system of free-flowing international artistic exchanges since the worst days of the Cold War, but now, in a matter of days, those vital connections are being torn apart. Political and security considerations are playing havoc with plans, schedules, box-office income. The real bad news is that this trend will get more powerful before a reversal . . . which may take months or years.

(Taking a long view, however, there is a glimmer of hope here. As deficits spread like SARS around the world and travel becomes even more severely restricted, jetsetting star casting will be minimized and — the good news — local opportunities for local talent increase exponentially. The Optimist says this may bring a new golden age of singers . . . who can later start flying around endlessly, proving the validity of Spengler's theory that cultures grow and decay in cycles.)

Cal Performances was notified last week that Jordi Savall and the Barcelona-based ensemble Hespèrion XXI have cancelled their entire US tour, "due to concerns regarding travel at this time," including the April 13 concert in Berkeley's First Congregational Church. Previously, Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour opted out of his April 24 Cal Performances concert, based on "personal sentiments regarding US foreign policy towards Iraq," even before the beginning of the war.

Mezzo Olga Borodina, no stranger to the Bay Area or to cancellations here and elsewhere, said "nyet" to a San Francisco Symphony Great Performers concert scheduled for May 3. The combination of war and pregnancy proved to be too much apparently. The event will not be rescheduled, but the Symphony's liberal exchange policy allows picking any other concert instead. Mezzo fans can't do better than attending Susan Graham's Davies Hall recital on April 6.

Elsewhere, Simon Keenlyside's cancellation of a long-scheduled appearance in Paris created a huge controversy because an early report said the English baritone was making a political statement. It turned out later that health reasons forced the cancellation, but by that time, the Internet filled to the brim with controvery pver the relationship between arts and politics.

Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu refused to travel to New York to sing the leading roles in the Metropolitan's Faust. As last Saturday's broadcast proved, the substitutions created a disastrous performance. The Rotterdam Philharmonic cancelled a seven-city US tour because of "the increasing feeling of insecurity." Concern about safety prompted Gypsy singer Esma Redzepova to cancel her appearance in a World Music Institute concert in May. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau decided to skip a much-anticipated Hugo Wolf Workshop in New York, and so on and so forth.

Weir Premiere in Marin

New Music 101, the contemporary music ensemble at the College of Marin, offers three concerts of a local premiere by Judith Weir, one in an "Art Farm style performance," which may or may not mean a fund-raising dinner environment. Directed by Paul Smith, the concerts on April 11, 12 and 13 present Weir's Heaven Ablaze in His Breast, based on ETA Hoffman's The Sandman, scored for two pianos and voices; and Liszt's two-piano transcription of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, performed by Smith and Ronald Cavaye. For information, www.COMopera.com.

The Lyric Joins the Walking Wounded

Chicago Lyric Opera, with an admirable record of consistent near-capacity attendance and positive finances, is expecting a large deficit when the books are closed soon on the company's 48th season. Going into red for only the second time in two decades, the Lyric may have a deficit as high as $2 million. (The Chicago Symphony's fiscal 2002 loss is $6.1m.) With years of more than 100% occupancy, thanks to resale of donated tickets, the Lyric has done better than any other US opera company. The San Francisco Opera figure, in a good year, is around 85%.

The reason for the flood of red ink at the Lyric is a familiar story: shrinking stock portfolios and former big-donor corporations cutting back. "The days when opera companies or symphony orchestras could blithely run year after year on financial fumes are over," writes Chicago Sun Times music critic Wynne Delacoma. "Sooner or later, money has to be found to pay off those multimillion-dollar deficits."

The Lyric has already announced an expensive 50th anniversary season for 2004-05, but started cutting back several months ago by dropping a new production of Berlioz's Benvenuto Cellini and Montemezzi's L'amore dei tre re. The company will also cut back slightly in the next season, offering 83, instead of the 86 performances of the current season.