Fanning the embers

The word "culture" is very rich in meaning, if not inexhaustible. It is used in an almost inflationary way in relation to the highest human values and activities as well as the most trivial things. It is no coincidence that sociologists, linguists, philosophers and cultural scientists spend days at symposia examining the boundlessness of this once spiritualized term. But the results hardly leave a trace in our everyday lives. Cultural symposia, Claudio Magris once wrote, are the negation of life, which is an open seaport.

If you embark on a mental journey, you discover how many things the word "culture" refers to: Orchestral culture, museum culture, café culture, but also football culture, regulars' table culture, entertainment culture and many more. Some of these cultures serve as an excellent form of entertainment, which in turn provides a livelihood for entire industries. Public broadcasting in Germany, in the following case Südwestrundfunk (SWR), is obviously not exempt from such trends. However, when "its" two orchestras are merged, the broadcaster undermines the very thing that should actually set it apart from commercial commercial broadcasting: so-called high culture.
 

At a meeting of the SWR Broadcasting Council (1) On July 2, 2010, SWR Director General Peter Boudgoust announced that SWR would have to save around 15 percent of its costs by 2020 through a "strategic savings course". Boudgoust explained that the "lawnmower principle" would not be applied, i.e. funds would not be cut to the same extent everywhere. Savings will be made where savings are possible without damaging the program. "This will allow us to be more efficient where we absolutely must not make cuts." The significance of his vague statement only became known in February 2012: The general savings course of 15 percent does not apply to the two SWR orchestras in Baden-Württemberg, no - the orchestras are being hit much harder: 25 percent was dictated to them as a savings target. The SWR budgets of both orchestras currently total around 20 million euros annually, so the aim is to have achieved a savings volume of 5 million euros by 2020. (2) Armed with these figures, SWR went public in February 2012. The way to save the 5 million euros was to be achieved by merging the two SWR orchestras.

A panel discussion on the merger idea took place at the Frankfurt Music Fair on March 28, 2012, one of the few public discussions with the director and the now retired SWR radio director Bernhard Hermann. The two were accompanied by representatives of the New Music Newspaperthe German Music Council and the German Orchestra Association. As precise as the questions were, Boudgoust and Hermann were brilliant in that they used a lot of fine words to say very little that was concrete: It is part of a culture of discussion conducted in the name of culture that one does not work with the wrong terms, was one of the general phrases used by the director. He advised his interviewees that "positions should not be defined from the outset", that the discussion was much more about "differentiation" and "nuances". Apart from the fact that with these words he was initially referring to the (in his opinion) incorrect categorization of the two SWR orchestra profiles in the feature section, such statements can be chalked up to dubious conversational tactics and, in retrospect, can also be confidently exposed as a cover for reality:

In the fall of 2010, SWR had already conducted an "interactive process" behind closed doors to explore ways to "further develop" both orchestras against the backdrop of the cost-cutting target. The SWR radio directorate was involved in this process. (3)SWR orchestra managers and external consultants, including Munich-based Metrum Managementberatung GmbH. (4) It is difficult for outsiders to understand exactly what went on behind the scenes. (5) However, it is likely that the artistic director had already toyed with a merger product at a very early stage, which is referred to internally at SWR as "Spitzenorchester plus". The basic idea behind this "structural option" is for both orchestras to merge into one large orchestra in Stuttgart in 2016. According to an SWR paper, this merged orchestra would then position itself nationally and internationally as a top orchestra. But this model is pure illusion. Experts have repeatedly and unanimously pointed out that the different profiles of the two orchestras could not be continued side by side after their merger and that their qualities would be lost as a result (quite apart from the fact that the savings target is highly unlikely to be achieved within the specified period and that the planned 90 concerts a year would hardly be feasible). While the RSO Stuttgart tends to be committed to the established repertoire, the SWR SO Baden-Baden and Freiburg is regarded as the orchestra for contemporary music par excellence. (6)
 

The management boards of both orchestras were given rudimentary information about the merger plans by the radio director in spring 2011 on the condition of absolute silence. In this way, the SWR management had already nipped any protests in the bud. SWR obviously wanted to push ahead with the merger plans as quickly as possible. (There is no need to mention that the orchestra board members were and continue to be extremely averse to the plans). In 2012, SWR again chose the path of least possible resistance in order to be able to move unperturbed towards the merger decision:

The time between the announcement of the proposed merger in February 2012 and the decision to merge by the Broadcasting Council on September 28, 2012 was extremely short. One thought comes to mind: If the SWR management had really wanted to save the two orchestras wantit would certainly have postponed the merger decision until spring 2013 canwhich the artistic director had been expressly asked to do several times. On the "other" side, intensive efforts were made to save the orchestra. Representatives of the SWR SO Orchestra Board and the Friends and Sponsors of the orchestra presented a plan for the future of the SWR SO Baden-Baden and Freiburg to the Radio Committee on June 14, 2012. It was based on a trustee model with the potential involvement of cities in Baden, the EU, Alsace and north-western Switzerland and thus envisaged a strong anchoring in the tri-national Upper Rhine metropolitan region. In the same month, the idea received initial support from politicians.

Apart from this early draft, Friedrich Schoch, Professor at the University of Freiburg and Director of the Institute for Public Law there, developed a concept for a foundation under public law. This is a form of organization that has supported the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (since 2002) and the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra (since 2005). A grant-making foundation would not require large initial assets. A circle of supporters, which is currently being actively expanded by the Association of Friends and Sponsors of the SWR SO, could make a significant contribution to the success of the plan. All those who care about the preservation of the SWR SO are invited to make a binding donation of their choice over a defined period of time. (7) Furthermore, there must be long-term financial backing through sponsorship, but also political backing, particularly from the Minister President of the state of Baden-Württemberg, so that SWR will agree to the foundation model. The foundation would then be supported by the state of Baden-Württemberg, the city of Freiburg and other cities and municipalities - and of course SWR. But here, too, there is still rejection, which the Director-General justifies with the fact that the co-sponsorship of broadcasting in such a foundation is "legally highly problematic". de facto but it is legally permissible and feasible. The only thing that needs to be discussed is the concrete implementation of this plan. However, SWR has so far been absent from the planning table.
 

Photo: © SWR/Winkelsträter

Swiss tour of the SWF Orchestra from February 14 to 17, 1966 (poster in Lausanne)

At this point in time, it is still entirely possible to revise the merger decision forced by SWR. To do so, it is time for the indignation that thousands and thousands of people, especially in Germany, France, Switzerland and the USA, are carrying within them to unfold its effectiveness once again! In particular, those who are opposed to cultural disruption should not allow themselves to be dissuaded by the dishonest arguments of a few merger supporters from the sensible idea that the merger decision can be reversed.

It is also important not to simply accept the arguments put forward by SWR, but to critically scrutinize them, for example those of the then Director of Radio Bernhard Hermann: "The considerations for securing the future of the orchestras," he wrote in a statement, "are based on the financial and demographic development of recent years. Since the mid-1990s, the gap between income and expenditure has been widening. For the first time in the history of public broadcasting, SWR is in a situation in which the broadcaster has less money at its disposal than in previous years. We expect a financial gap of 166 million euros by 2020." The radio director did not back up these figures with precise details. In addition, it has recently become known that the station will not have lower, but rather higher revenues. (8)

It is striking that the discussion on the part of SWR is conducted almost exclusively under economic auspices. (9) And when the artistic director does try to argue from a musical point of view, he causes new displeasure with populist statements: "I like Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 in D minor. Especially when an orchestra manages to maintain a balance between the effervescent moments and the intimate passages. And I like football. The sports show is a must [...]. In this sense, I want to continue to be inspired by thrilling moments of football and by Shostakovich's masterpieces. For example, at a concert by the German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern. An orchestra that emerged from the Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra of Saarland Radio and the Kaiserslautern Radio Orchestra of SWR. A merged orchestra that is highly praised in the arts pages. So it does work after all." (10)
 

The arguments for the preservation of both orchestras and against their merger are so numerous that they cannot be adequately explained here. So let's let some prominent voices have their say! Sir Simon Rattle: "With this plan, you are about to send your two excellently positioned orchestras down an artistic dead end." Helmut Lachenmann also found clear words when he spoke of a "thoughtlessly promoted intellectual flattening". He looked disparagingly at the decision-makers behind the merger: "I see such destructive actions by managers who are taking control of our culture as a symptom of the lack of enlightenment in matters of art that finally needs to be remedied." Pierre Boulez expressed his bewilderment in a letter to the artistic director: "For more than 60 years, this orchestra [the SWR SO] has guaranteed a truly exceptional musical culture and, in particular, the interpretation of contemporary compositions at the highest conceivable technical and musical level. It therefore seems completely inconceivable to me that German and international musical life would be deprived of such a vital and excellent partner with a unique profile. I consider this orchestra to be simply irreplaceable, and the loss would be irreparable - what has been achieved there over many decades with the greatest commitment can neither be replaced nor transferred, nor can it be made up for at some point in the future." And Norbert Lammert, President of the German Bundestag, warned in an interview with the Badische Zeitung: "I am not at all convinced by this kind of cost-cutting effort, because once again it is a search for ways to make savings in the very area that could justify the fees."