The job vacancies are advertised every month in Das Orchester, but nowhere does it say what they pay.

So we made some discreet enquiries. What we have discovered are huge discrepancies between some of the best and all of the rest.

Here’s the pay scale:

Berliner Philharmoniker pays a monthly salary of €8,500 for an ensemble player (a principal earns €9,770+)

Leipzig Gewandhausorchester: €5,700 (principal €1,400)

WDR Köln: €5,300 (principal plus €800)

Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz Ludwigshafen: €4,100 (principal plus €800)

Bremen Philharmoniker: €3,400(principal plus €800)

Exchange rate: €100 = US $123 = UK£88

How does that compare with your situation?