Every autumn brings the same anxiety for singers on ensemble contracts at German theatres. Under the Normalvertrag Bühne collective agreement, notices of non-renewal must generally reach those concerned by October 31 of the season at the end of which their contracts expire (different deadlines apply to longer engagements). In Austria, the Theatre Employment Act generally sets the deadline at January 31 of the year in which employment ends. At Swiss theatres covered by the Solo collective agreement, notice of non-renewal must generally be given by October 31, or by January 31 in the first year of the contract. Here, too, longer engagements require longer notice periods.
The management of theatres and opera houses must weigh up artistic performance, an artist’s importance as a figure with whom audiences identify, and social and personal considerations. The same questions arise time and again: how much freedom does a theatre’s management need to meet the artistic demands placed upon it? And how much protection do artists need to avoid facing financial hardship year after year, or potentially being subjected to arbitrary decisions?