On Tuesday morning, for the first time in its history, the New York Philharmonic threw open its doors to the public for a dress rehearsal - free of charge. Judging by the wide cross-section of patrons who assembled on the plaza, many of them loyal fans of cellist Yo-Yo Ma, one can safely conclude that appreciation of classical music is definitely not on the wane.
My introduction to Yo-Yo Ma came by way of a CD I received as a gift, "Classic Yo-Yo", on which Ma collaborates with vocalists Bobby McFerrin and Alison Krauss, and pianist Emanuel Ax, to present an amalgam of Dvorak's E-minor Slavonic Dance and Brahm's second cello sonata. So enthralled I was with Ma's talent and style, I tuned in to more of his music - not only "Obrigado Brazil", but also "Silk Road Journey: When Strangers Meet" and "Silk Road Journeys: Beyond the Horizon". My favorite remains "Obrigado Brazil" where Ma takes us on a musical journey through South America, with a fixation on Brazil. The compilation ranges from classical to samba to bossa nova, with a rhythmic blend of cello, piano, percussion, bass and guitar.
By 8:20am Tuesday, when I joined the queue outside Avery Fisher Hall on the plaza at Lincoln Center, I probably bumped the number count up to 2,001 never mind the crisp morning air with temperatures hovering around 60F. As I stood in line awaiting the distribution of tickets, reps from the Philharmonic rewarded my patience with bottles of water and chocolate chunks bearing the logos of New York Philharmonic and Credit Suisse - the Orchestra's first-ever and exclusive Global Sponsor. A roving quartet played to a captive audience, rotating location at intervals, first from the plaza then from the balcony.
Shortly after 9:45am, the concert commenced as scheduled. Conductor Lorin Maazel led Yo-Yo Ma in an All-Dvorak Program - Carnival, Cello Concerto in B Minor, and Symphony No.7 in D Minor. The patron to my left, close in age to my mother, had joined the queue last year outside The Met for complimentary tickets to the performance of La Boheme. The Met reportedly enjoyed a spike in membership that season, following the giveaway. The two youngsters seated in the row ahead of me, seemed hardly older than my one-year old niece, Maya. How's that for an intergenerational audience?
So I return to my original question. Is the appreciation of classical music on the wane? Despite reports to the contrary, the answer is a resounding 'no'. The turnout for the dress rehearsal bore witness to this fact, as did the chairs neatly arranged on the plaza in preparation for the simulcast of the live performance on opening night. The attendance at the free summer series "New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Park" also reaffirms this position. As long as there are complimentary dress rehearsals and concerts in the parks, there will be concertgoers and adherents to classical music.
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However, I do believe that more and more people are like myself -- largely ignorant of this genre -- either by choice or by the lack of exposure to it. My parents valued eduation, took us to museums of all types and focused on reading...but they listened to standards in their spare time, not classical. They are "regular middle class folks" and did not own much "classical".
There has always been a level of intimidation involved. People believe they have to "study" the genre rather than just enjoy it. Discussions of "classial" music often come with snarky lectures and critiques from those who know more. I am embarrassed to take the side of "dumbing down". But most of us just want to enjoy music when we listen...not get a musicology lecture.
This valuable part of our cultural heritage is worth supporting through free concert series and music education programs that are accessible to non-musicians. It will still likely appeal to only a small segment of the population. But other musical genres enjoy small but devoted audiences and somehow survive.
In Europe people are far more likely to attend contemporary classical music concerts, and not just artists or the avant garde. In America I am constantly surprised by the narrow mindedness of Beethoven, Bach, and Brahms (sp?) fans who turn their noses up at anything reeking of modernism. Things must move on! Even many modern art lovers turn up their noses at today's classical music.
I agree, there should be music appreciation in schools starting very early with exposure to classical, contemporary classical, big band, folk, bluegrass--music most kids aren't exposed to at home.
Just because you or another person likes classical, doesn't mean it is universal or growing or shrinking. Two or three data points tell you nothing.
I was in the music biz (instrument) and less and less kids are learning music. Piano is not being taught like it used to. There are too many other distractions. Maybe as stereo equipment gets better, less people are going to live shows. Public schools are not as well funded as they used to be. People are working longer hours for those big houses, increasing commute times and don't have time to escort their kids to lessons like in the 70's.
Funny, too, how many artists incorporate classical pieces into more modern music - my favorite being "All By Myself". It provides us with a rich heritage and a fine tradition that can hold its own, even with a more contemporary audience.
I don't believe the appreciation for Classical music has waned, I just think that the media is too focused on the ridiculous antics of contemporary musicians to afford the space to give Classical music any merit. Sorry to say this, but just look at the front page of the entertainment section of HP today and it's "J-Lo" this and "Brittney" that. I found this interesting dialogue buried in amongst the dribble.
You can see it (late night) on most basic cable public access channel, some PBS stations
and I think on dish network. There is a website classicartsshowcase.org for more info. altho I dunno why they don't have streaming video on it.
But if you are referring to that sliver of time that "letstakeawalk" wants to define as "classical", then I guess we have problems.
You see, there is no such thing as "classical" music -- never has been, never will be. It's just music. Mozart was as much "pop" as Feist is today. There is simply music.
But, sadly, the people who put on this music today seem to think that it is fine to play Beethoven with Cage, Mozart with Glass, and on and on.
Orchestras are no longer about playing music, they are about putting fannies in the seats. Well, that is the first clue that something is wrong.
My suggestion: let it die. Oh yeah, and let it live, too. Stop trying to appeal to the "classical" music lover. There is no such person. The real world is made up of lovers of music. Let the musicians decide. You might be surprised how many people are more interested in programs designed by musicians, then programs designed by marketing people.
Medieval - 475-1450 CE
Renaissance - 1450-1600 CE
Baroque - 1600-1750 CE (Bach, Handel, Vivaldi)
Classical - 1750-1820 CE (Beethoven, Mozart)
Romantic - 1820-1900 CE (Bizet, Wagner, Chopin)
Modern - 1900-Today (Stravinsky, Schoenberg)
The music of an era is informed by its politics, technology, and social culture. The rewards of listening to great works is even greater if you understand the motivations of the composers.
It's a shame too mind you, but that is the reality I believe.