Musical Crimes

Police in Germany and France are cracking down on those who dare to take classical music to the masses. According to The Wall Street Journal, police in those countries have been raiding concerts and arresting conductors who bring in musicians from Eastern Europe. Promoters and conductors say employing musicians from Western Europe would make concerts too expensive to take into small venues profitably. Not surprisingly, French and German musicians' unions say the conductors are guilty of unfair competition and exploiting Eastern European musicians. In any event, promoters have been charged with illegally importing labor and underpaying performers.