Roman style decimation in San Diego

The San Diego Symphony is picking up the pieces of a torn and tattered 2023-2024 Jacobs Masterworks Series. Delays in the renovations of The Jacobs Music Center at Copley Symphony Hall have decimated what was once a season to be remembered. Well, that’s not quite accurate.

To be decimated means to kill one-tenth of a military unit. The most famous act of decimation occurred during the Spartacus rebellion in Ancient Rome. Marcus Crassus, the Roman commander, divided two cowardly legions into groups of ten. Each of the ten men drew a straw. The man who drew the shortest straw was then beaten to death by the other nine. Some historians credit Crassus’s ensuing success against Spartacus to this brutal show of discipline. 

I wonder if decimation would work with a company contracted to renovate a concert hall? Perhaps deadlines would be met if decimation was a consequence.

Of course, that is hyperbole on my part. I want to clarify that I am not lobbying for the decimation of anything or anyone. It’s just a thought experiment. For instance, would the construction, which has been ongoing for almost two years, on Pershing be completed if decimation were on the table?

In this thought experiment the workers would be the soldiers and I don’t think the workers are to blame. In fact, I’ve never seen 10 workers at one time on Pershing so it wouldn’t be effective.

Pershing is the route I usually take to go see symphony concerts. You see, now, how these dreams of decimation connect to each other.

Let’s take a look at what remains of the season. The first two concerts of the new year are already sold out for the San Diego Symphony. That would be because they are performing in venues that hold about 500. The next two concerts are also almost sold out for the same reason.

The rest of the concerts through March 16, have been reduced to just one performance each. Gone is Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No, 7. Gone is Pytor Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6. Gone is the reprise of Richard Wagner’s The Ring Without Words. Although, I must say I’m happy to see Ottorino Respighi’s Pines of Rome scheduled for Sunday, February 25, at The Civic Theatre. 

Looking at the online calendar, it appears as if Micheal Tillson Thomas—health permitting—will conduct the first concerts in the renovated hall on March 23 and 24. San Diego Music Director Rafael Payare then conducts on March 29 and 30.

In April there is a one-off Lang Lang concert. A one-off concert of The Firebird Suite by Igor Stravinsky, and a one-off concert called “Philharmonia Fantastique” which is for the children.

May looks to finish the season off with what we consider to be a normal month. There are three weekends of concerts with two performances each and they feature composers such as Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, and Richard Strauss.

Should May fail, it will not be decimation but devastation.