Even better, in the case of stuff by Wagner, just don't do it. JD "Wagner's music is better than it sounds." -- Mark Twain (paraphrased).
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Fri 3/26/2004 2:46 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: Subject: Re: [PEN-L] More on the labor theory of value To be honest, this is just more evidence of German overmanning. Does an orchestra really need two trombone players, a timpanist and an oboist, each of whom only plays a couple of notes? Surely there's some scope for retraining multitasking and flexible labour practices here. If everyone achieved the same level of productivity as the violinists, we could get those bloody Mahler symphonies over in a quarter of an hour. Or better still, outsource the whole thing and play them in a call centre in Bangalore. dd On Thu, 25 Mar 2004 08:46:29 -0800, "Devine, James" wrote: > > of course, this isn't really about the labor theory of > value, since the players produce a collective product > with a collective labor process in which external > benefits amongst workers imply that the effects of > individual labors can't be separated. Being paid more > for more effort is about the theory of > wage-determination, not the theory of value of the > products of labor. > > ------------------------ > Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] & > http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/~jdevine > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: michael [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2004 7:47 AM > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: [PEN-L] More on the labor theory of value > > > > > > We're being fiddled, say violinists > > > > AP, Berlin > > Wednesday March 24, 2004 > > The Guardian > > > > Violinists at a German orchestra are suing for a pay > rise on > > the grounds > > that they play many more notes per concert than their > musical > > colleagues > > - a litigation that the orchestra's director > yesterday called > > "absurd". > > The 16 violinists at the Beethoven Orchestra, in the > former > > West German > > capital Bonn argue that they work more than their > colleagues who play > > instruments including the flute, oboe and trombone. > > > > The violinists also say that a collective bargaining > agreement that > > gives bonuses to performers who play solos is unjust. > > > > But the orchestra's director Laurentius Bonitz said > it was > > unreasonable > > to compare playing a musical instrument with other > jobs. > > > > "The suit is ridiculous," Bonitz said in a telephone > interview. "It's > > absurd." > > > > He also argued that soloists and musicians in other > leading > > roles - such > > as the orchestra's two oboe players - should perhaps > make more money. > > > > "Maybe it's an interesting legal question but > musically, it's > > very clear > > to everyone," Bonitz said. > > > > The case is scheduled to go before a labour judge > later this year. > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > Michael Perelman > > Economics Department > > California State University > > michael at ecst.csuchico.edu > > Chico, CA 95929 > > 530-898-5321 > > fax 530-898-5901 > >