Performing Arts

One of the headliner concerts promised for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's 2007-08 season is being scratched. Benjamin Britten's War Requiem, which was to have been performed under principal guest conductor Claus Peter Flor, will be replaced by another program because of money concerns.

"We were reviewing the budget for next year, and we determined the need to make a few programming adjustments," says Fred Bronstein, president and CEO of the Dallas Symphony Association. "It's a very expensive piece to produce, and we just determined it would be prudent to postpone it."

Mr. Flor, whose contract hasn't been renewed beyond next season, had thought the Feb. 28-March 1, 2008, concerts might be his farewell as the DSO's principal conductor. A replacement program hasn't been selected yet, but Mr. Flor is still expected to conduct it. A May 2008 program including Lorin Maazel's arrangement of music from Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung may also be changed to save money.

Dr. Bronstein declined to either confirm or deny rumors that the DSO may have a $400,000 shortfall when its fiscal year ends May 31.

"It's a challenging year," he said, "but we're not at the end of the year yet. Based on our current projections, we've got a ways to go. Obviously, we've been fortunate in the last three years to be able to balance the budget, but we're not immune from the challenges that all cultural organizations are facing."

Dr. Bronstein said ticket sales during 2006-07 were "relatively flat." But beyond ticket sales, arts organizations depend heavily on annual contributions, and Dr. Bronstein said this year's contributions were "behind where we want to be right now."

"But so much activity happens in the last month of the campaign. People are working very hard to raise dollars."

Last weekend's classical concerts were prefaced by unusual from-the-stage fundraising pitches.

Dr. Bronstein said the Britten work would cost "if not six figures, close to six figures, because of the soloists, music rental and extra musicians." (Modern scores and parts must be rented from publishers, while out-of-copyright repertory from the early 20th century and before is likely to be in the orchestra's own library.)

Composed for the 1962 dedication of the new Coventry Cathedral, which was erected alongside ruins of an older cathedral bombed during World War II, the War Requiem became a memorial to the war's casualties. Interspersing war poetry by Wilfred Owen with traditional Latin texts of the requiem mass, it's a work of high drama and scorching emotion, scored for soprano, tenor and baritone soloists, mixed choir, boys' choir, chamber orchestra and full orchestra. Mr. Flor conducted a riveting performance four years ago with the Houston Symphony and Chorus.

As to Mr. Flor's future with the DSO, Dr. Bronstein said: "There's been nothing announced about that. We've not actually had any discussion."