Monday, November 26, 2012

The Dialogue

You can see the responses to the save-classical-music Invitation to a Dialogue in the NY Times here. As I predicted, there is nothing new or unexpected in the responses. I wish that just one person had questioned the whole notion that classical music is dying. Yes, some institutions are in a bad way because of bad management and the recession, but remember: a few years ago, Alex Ross counted 50 new music ensembles in NYC, where in the 1970s there had been 2. 

To the guy who apparently stopped attending classical concerts because of one stupid question from a fellow audience member, come to San Francisco Symphony, where khakis and a polo shirt will make you more formally dressed than about half the audience. If you like the music, buy tickets, ignore the dopes, and enjoy!

2 comments:

D. said...

Heh. I started writing a comment, but it went all over the place.

Basically, classical music is not dying, but it is becoming more and more marginalized (which is a marketing thing working against it). Orchestral music does not need "niche" placement; it needs to be in the mainstream. (Jazz has something of the same "problem.") People have to hear it.

...And I'd better stop there.

Lisa Hirsch said...

Feel free to ramble!