It’s all over but the resignation of Osmo.Osmo is certainly not going to risk a recording session with 22 greenhorns (probably more with the passage of time) who have never played together. Osmo has very little interest in the outcome since he has done quite well for himself during the lockout. He is far away the front runner for the Chicago job when Muti finally dies or throws in the towel. I can’t imagine him wanting to continue in Minn under the current management. For that matter, I can’t imagine any serious musician wanting to play broadway showtunes, so who is going to apply for the openings? College seniors from Iowa Sate? So even if they “settle” the contract, we will have a third rate band instead of a world presence.

With respect to the allegation that the musicians have acted in bad faith, I can certainly think of an analogous situation. If a prospective client asked me to quote on drafting a contract and I said $5,000, would I make a counteroffer if he said will you take $3,500? Makes one wish law offices employed bouncers. To the best of my knowledge the management simply asserted that they were coming up 6 million short, but made no effort to go to the public for the deficit, nor to increase the efforts of their development people. The 50 million for the building came in quickly and easily. What was the problem with raising the 6 million? The answer is plain to me: they didn’t want to raise it because they wanted to trash the existing orchestra and replace it with something cheaper and smaller.

We really must congratulate the management for executing their design flawlessly. The public relations campaign has been effective and the control of the press has been perfect. They positioned the musicians in a “no win” corner and have successfully avoided any real debate on the kind of an orchestra we want in the future.

In fine, my friend, the battle is lost. The good guys have been thrashed by the capitalist republicans. They may have lied and cheated, but they won. I don’t see myself going to a concert until the present gang of philistines have been driven out and 10 to 15 years have passed for rebuilding.