ok, my sympathy for orchestra musicians is gone

at least, the "big ones"Soho the Dog: In the ballpark:

Reading that the Boston Symphony Orchestra management and players have agreed to freeze salaries at their current minimum of $128,180, Thomas Garvey asks—more to the point, asks why my Globe colleague Geoff Edgers isn't asking, "Why is the BSO so overpaid?" The answer? Because they're not. Here are the starting salaries for either the last or the coming season for the traditional Big Five, plus San Francisco and Los Angeles:

* New York Philharmonic: $129,740 (2009-10)
* San Francisco Orchestra: $129,740 (2009-10)
* Los Angeles Philharmonic: $129,585 (2008-09)
* Boston Symphony Orchestra: $128,180 (2009-10)
* Chicago Symphony Orchestra: $127,637 (2009-10)
* Philadelphia Orchestra: $124,800 (2009-10)
* Cleveland Orchestra: $115,440 (2008-09)

The BSO is right in the middle of that pack.