Vienna Philharmonic Lets Women Join in Harmony

Correction Appended

The Vienna Philharmonic, a proud bastion of male musicians since its founding 155 years ago during the gilded days of the Hapsburg empire, bowed to the modern world today and agreed to admit women as full members.

Facing protests during an overseas tour that will take the orchestra to New York (March 7-9) and Los Angeles (March 4-5), and after being held up to increasing ridicule even in socially conservative Austria, members of the orchestra gathered today in an extraordinary meeting on the eve of their departure and agreed to admit a woman, Anna Lelkes, as harpist.

After long maintaining that the orchestra's superior sound and style came partly from its maleness, the members also voted to welcome women to their annual auditions in June, when positions will be available for a violist, a tuba player and a trumpet player.

''There were some statements about the sound of the orchestra and some fears about women, but we could tell them everything will be all right,'' Walter Blovsky, general manager and a violist, said after the meeting.

Mrs. Lelkes, who has been one of the orchestra's two harpists for 26 years but was never allowed to join formally and receive full payment and privileges, will appear with the orchestra during its American tour, Mr. Blovsky said.

''It looked so hopeless until recently,'' Mrs. Lelkes, who is 57, said today. ''But now I am extremely happy.''

She denied reports that she was planning to retire after the orchestra's tour.

As other premier European orchestras, notably the Berlin Philharmonic, accepted women players (though only a few), the Vienna Philharmonic was able to withstand clamor over its discriminatory employment practices because of its status as a self-governing private institution that receives only a nominal $250,000 a year from the Government.

Beyond the possibility of women destroying their special sound, the orchestra had also argued that it would suffer financially if women took maternity leaves and had to be replaced.

But the Philharmonic's insulation was punctured last week when the new Austrian Chancellor, Viktor Klima, publicly told orchestra members at an awards ceremony that there was ''creative potential in the other half of humanity and this should be used.''

The orchestra's chairman, Werner Resel, responded that the Philharmonic was a ''private club'' that could do what it liked and would consider disbanding if the pressure continued, calling the public fuss a typical case of ''Austromasochism.''

But cooler heads prevailed after Mr. Resel's outburst. In fact, Mr. Resel did not attend today's meeting and will retire in September, Mr. Blovsky said.

Mr. Blovsky said today's decision to accept women was made possible by the Government's guarantee to pay the salaries of players who joined the orchestra to fill the places of women on maternity leave.

But critics of the orchestra's discriminatory policies said the orchestra, which is perhaps Austria's pre-eminent cultural institution and important in promoting the country's image abroad, was forced to acknowledge reality or have its reputation further tarnished.

''They were quite frightened by the feminist movement in the United States, and they realized it was no fun and no joking,'' said Elena Ostleitner, an assistant professor at the University of Music in Vienna.

Ms. Ostleitner said the orchestra was aware that the National Organization for Women and other groups, including the International Alliance for Women in Music, had urged boycotts of the performances in the United States.

Judith Arron, the executive director of Carnegie Hall, where the orchestra will play next month with Daniel Barenboim as conductor, said, ''We're really, really delighted that they've made this decision.''

The Philharmonic serves a dual function. It plays as the orchestra at the Vienna State Opera, which is a state-financed institution, and it plays concerts in Vienna and on tour abroad.

To qualify for the Philharmonic, a player must first audition and be accepted as a player with the State Opera. After three years at the State Opera, a player graduates to the Philharmonic.

The auditions in June will be for the State Opera's orchestra.

''There are some good female viola players,'' Mr. Blovsky said. ''I am curious if they come and how they are. Equal chances, men and women.''

He said it was ''seldom you have women who are trumpet or tuba players.'' In contrast, there are few male harpists, the reason Mrs. Lelkes had long performed with the orchestra.

If a woman wins at the auditions in June, she will have to stay in the ranks of the State Opera for three years before graduating out of the orchestra pit and onto the full concert stage.

The Philharmonic does not have a permanent conductor but instead votes among its membership to choose guest conductors; a woman has never conducted the orchestra.

Its CD covers have never included a photograph with Mrs. Lelkes, the harpist. And in the official photograph in ''Democracy of Kings,'' a book on the history of the orchestra, she is absent.

There are 143 members of the Philharmonic and 148 members of the State Opera's orchestra. More than two-thirds of the members approved the resolution allowing women.

''I was astonished,'' Mr. Blovsky said.

But he suggested that the all-male tradition would die hard. ''The procedure for being in the Philharmonic is a question of social things, of being able to do all the things that come along,'' he said. ''When we choose someone for the Philharmonic it's not only an artistic quality. It's a matter of being a good colleague.''

Being a member of the orchestra means putting the orchestra above everything else, he said. ''The divorce rate is very high,'' he added. ''We do more than 700 performances, recordings, concerts a year. All other orchestras do about 350.''

In an article last year in The Journal of the International Alliance for Women in Music, the principal flutist, Dieter Flury, said he opposed women joining the orchestra.

''If one thinks that the world should function by quota regulations, then it is naturally irritating that we are a group of white-skinned male musicians who perform exclusively the music of white-skinned male composers,'' Mr. Flury said. But, he added, ''I am convinced that it is worthwhile to accept this racist and sexist irritation.''

''My worry,'' he continued, ''is that it would be a step that could never be taken back.''

Correction: April 8, 1997, Tuesday An article on Feb. 28 about the Vienna Philharmonic's decision to admit women as full members referred incorrectly in some editions to the orchestra's annual subsidy from the Austrian Government. The orchestra has received 2.5 million Austrian schillings a year ($210,000), not $2.5 million. The orchestra says the subsidy has been discontinued. This correction was delayed by an editing lapse.