Supporters of the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden and Freiburg have reacted angrily to a proposal that the two ensembles should be merged to save money. German broadcaster SWR has drawn up plans to merge the two ensembles from 2016 as part of a major cost-cutting programme. An online petition opposing the plans has attracted more than 5,000 signatures in the two days since its launch.

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