Unless the government can come up with an urgent rescue package, 70% of the British performing arts are expected to go out of business by the end of 2020. Royal Albert Hall and South Bank are in a catastrophic situation.
Recently, Beethoven’s symphony no.7 was performed as a
quarantine clip by orchestra musicians performing at their homes, wearing everyday
attire. Such gimmicks don’t pay the bills. On YouTube, the London Philharmonic
orchestra gets around 200,000 views a day. Its annual income from online streaming
is 30,000 pounds, enough to cover the cost of a single rehearsal. Streaming
services pay per clip, not duration; the same for a 2-minute song, and a 2-hour
orchestra.
Classical music differs from sport. Football and
cricket can be played in empty stadiums. People are accustomed to watch the
game on TV. Live concerts and operas are a grand experience to be shared by the
performers and audience sitting in the same room.
London’s Royal Opera House, whose survival Prince
Charles is now worried about, has 100 people on stage, another 100 in the pit,
and 2700 in the audience. It breaks even when 95% of the tickets are sold. Ticket
sales are that important. UK government gives it a 20% subsidy, much less than
the 80% in Germany.
The Berliner ensemble has removed 70% seats for social
distancing. It plans to reopen in September. Opera Australia plans temperature
checks. The Melbourne theatre company promises to share seating and contact
details of every audience member with the government. Edinburg’s Royal Lyceum
has announced going into hibernation.
Production club, a design studio in Los Angeles, has
been more creative. It has developed a personal protective suit especially for concert-goers.
Ventilation is inbuilt, also a facility to allow drinking. The suit gives the
wearer an option to mute people in real life. It covers only the top half of
the body, so visiting the loo is not a problem. Called Micrashell, it looks
like a spacesuit.
Audience is not the only issue. Orchestra members sit
very close to each other. Violin and cello players can wear masks, but not
woodwinds or the singers. Brass musicians and singers continuously generate large
clouds of aerosols.
*****
Indian classical music is more of a solo affair than a
group performance. For survival, Indian performers are re-focusing on teaching
online. In India, the lockdown seems to have renewed interest in learning classical
singing.
*****
In many aspects of life, coronavirus highlights the defects
of the existing business models. Classical music in places like London and New
York are so expensive that it attracts a particular section of the society –
older, rich, corporate, and showy. Where
subscription seasons are run, only those who can afford to pay for a year’s
tickets in advance can attend.
Something good may come out of the current crisis.
Classical music will be forced to perform online, or sell last minute tickets,
or perform outdoors. For classical music to survive in the long term, younger
audiences must develop a taste for it. The pandemic may compel orchestras and
operas to pay more attention to the young.
Ravi
THe UK government has just made an offer for the ARTS, but people say not enough
ReplyDeleteकठीण परिस्थिती आहे.
ReplyDeleteOne of the solutions could be music companies could have paid sites, which derive revenue through online advertising and ticket sales. This will keep tickets reasonable and generate revenues through adverts. This can be shared with artists.
ReplyDelete