by Paul J. Pelkonen
The rest is silence: the empty stage of Orchestra Hall, home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Image from Music Acoustics and Architecture © 1962 Leo Baranek.
Members of the Chicago Federation of Musicians Local 10-208 laid down their instruments in response to a three-year contract offer from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association. Although the current offer from orchestra management offers a (slightly) higher base weekly salary to musicians, management and players are wrangling over salaries, the cost of health care and presumably, other monetary issues.
The current base salary of CSO musicians is $2,785 per week.
According to a press release from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra: "The last, best and final contract offered by the Association would have made the members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra among the best-compensated in a U.S. orchestra,"
Management's offer also includes:
- 12 weeks of paid time off per year,
- a defined benefit pension plan,
- excellent health insurance
- a minimum size of 106 orchestra musicians.
At the time of this writing, there is no word on how long the strike will last, or whether it will affect the planned October appearances of the CSO at Carnegie Hall. The orchestra is scheduled to open that institution's season with a performance of Carmina Burana under the baton of Mr. Muti.
The cancelled concert was the second in a series featuring Music Director Riccardo Muti leading Dvořák's Fifth Symphony, Notturno by Giuseppe Martucci and Ottorino Respighi's orchestral showpiece Feste Romana. Both the season opener on Sept. 20 and a free outdoor performance of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana went ahead as scheduled.
Recent labor troubles have also cropped up in Indianapolis and Atlanta, where orchestra management has locked out musicians as the season approaches.
The CSO's next scheduled concert is Sept. 26. More on this story as it develops.
