state of classical music

[serge urtizberea]

I am interested to hear about your views about the state of classical music today. There isn't much literature about it outside of specialty magazines, but the impression I get is that c.m. is taking less and less of a role in our society today. The major labels are reducing their commitment to c.m., apparently BMG has all but cut it out of their new business strategy. Sony focuses more and more on soundtracks and crossover, and there are a lot of reissues being made. I am not particularly fond of this whole reissue business as I prefer to collect new recordings digitally mastered, and I hope this is a trend on its way out. <BR>It seems that live performance of c.m. is still fairly vibrant (and lucrative for star soloists), so I guess it's the recording industry that I'm concerned over.<BR>I should hedge some of my opinion against the fact that the new recordings being put out are top-drawer; Sony's new classical releases are nothing short of spectacular as far as virtuosity, sound mastering, and art design are concerned (that's what you get with a company that is willing to spend for some of the best artists, producers, engineers, and art directors out there! Long live Sony!) and DG is putting out Beethoven's nine performed by the Berliner under Abbado on DVD-audio next spring (!!!).<BR>Nevertheless, it seems the situation could be better. What do you think?

[Sparky]

The big difference between classical music and most other genres is that, with the classics, it often doesn't matter who performs it. This is particularly true of music in which there is no soloist. So any orchestra making a recording of, say, a Beethoven symphony has to compete with six or seven other orchestras doing the same thing. The market share for any individual recording nosedives. In the case of rock or popular music, on the other hand, the music and the performer are usually inseparable; if you want to hear Pretty Woman, you WILL buy a Roy Orbison recording. That's far more profitable for the performer, and the recording company.<P>By the way, this is an ongoing battle that I am having with Columbia Record Club. They publish their catalog according to artist; so if I am looking for a particular classical piece, I have to search through the entire list of artists, instead of looking for the composer. Royal pain.<p>[This message has been edited by Sparky (edited 11-06-2000).]

[thrillhouse]

my view, is who cares? Classical music is for the ages. I have it, I love it, I always will.. I'm young, and many of my peers don't share my joy for classical music, but I don' mind. It's there for me to listen to, not for recording studios to make money off of. It's culture and will always be played, always be in cartoons and movies, always be part of school orchestras. If it's not popular in the modern day to a point where it's not sold by studios, I don't care. I have what I like and I know where to find the rest. GO CLASSICAL MUSIC GO!

[Sparky]

It will be a sad day indeed when we are forced to hear classical music by watching movies or cartoons.

[thrillhouse]

I don't mean it that way.. I just mean that classical music is culture and will always be around in many aspects of life. For instance, there are many rock songs that will just be one hit wonders and the oldies will always be oldies, but forgotten at times. Beethoven and others transcend time... they are timeless. We shouldn't worry about those foolios who don't appreciate it. Just be glad that you do. <P><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Sparky:<BR><B>It will be a sad day indeed when we are forced to hear classical music by watching movies or cartoons.</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>

[Kylene]

Personally, I do believe 'classical music' is losing its place in our society. If parents maintain their falling activism in the growth of their children (failure to put kids in music lessons), and if the governments force emphasis on science and technology then there will be no large classical community to think of. Being ignorant of 'classical music', whether it's Mozart, Hindemith, or John Williams will only lead to another generation of ignorance.<p>[This message has been edited by Kylene (edited 11-07-2000).]

[Nicole Marie]

I agree with many points to this conversation but I would like to present an idea. What about supporting music in the schools? To quickly we allow the school boards to cut funding for music classes, instruments and other needed teaching tools. If we support music in the class we will open a whole generation of students to classical, jazz, blues and other music.<P>I recieved an email from a teacher the other day asking for help with materials for her class. The school board had just cut money for the music department and she was left with having to ask and buy materials on her own. Does this seem right?<P>Support the funding of music in your local school. Even if you have no children, you still are a tax payer!<P>Just a thought.....Nicole Marie

[Kylene]

To Nicole especially...<BR>I'm from Canada so our funding for music is a little different (cuts to music classes aren't that direct). However, what my highschool did to promote the music department was to set up a parent organization. With the work of dedicated parents, students, and teachers money is raised for music trips, performance uniforms, luxury expenses (ie. new bass, soprano sax, piano etc). This allows actual government money to be spent elsewhere in the dept. So again, I really feel the emphasis needs to come from the homefront- an involved parent can make a world of difference both educationally and musically.

[Nicole Marie]

I too see the benefit of Parental Fund Rasing and support. I come from a background of extremely supportive parent groups. But this only goes so far when the sports teams are getting all the money and the music department budget is a few hundred.<P>Sport funding is needed also but to many schools see an unequal balance. This unequality is spilling over into the arts in all aspects. From symphonies to cultural organizations etc. Is there a solution? Yes, equal funding.

[thrillhouse]

I'll have to disagree. While funding might make a small difference, I don't think that is the relevant problem. The problem is, kids and teenagers are now into sports, movies, computers, and video games more than ever. They aren't interested in classical music, even if they are in orchestras. I'm pretty young and when I was in my high school's orchestra, I was one of the few interested to learn more about the pieces we were playing and about the composers. But nowadays, everyone can download their music from Napster, and who wants to wait to download an hour long symphony? Even if schools had funding, how many kids would be interested in it? And parents can only push so far. It's definitely a homegrown thing, but in the end, how much are kids going to care if their friends aren't into it... I dunno.. ask yourself how you got into it and then ask how likely it is for a kid in this century to be influenced in the same way? I guess it's kind of sad, because there's no one I share my joy of classical music with. I just enjoy it myself.

[Kylene]

I guess I lucked out in my high school musical experience... over 50% of the school's population participated in a performing ensemble- there were 15 ensembles to choose from (jazz, chamber orc., band, choir etc.)and exceeded the sports fund raising by far. I personally got to play in 4-5 groups/year as well as directing the junior jazz band. The 'music kids' became one big social group. We'd talk about normal teenage things while making jokes about Wagnerian Operas...If my parents hadn't supported my involvement, nor if all the parents hadn't contributed I don't know where I'd be (not to mention the amazing teachers!).

[Nicole Marie]

I guess I lucked out also-<P>I came form a background where all children had to play an instrument. It was required. This peeked my interest in classical studies. I thought the rest of the school systems were like this. I see I was wrong. Everyone who made points, I believe are right, if all of these ideas were working together classical music could go to a different level.

[jrs]

Back to a point thrillhouse brought up, or at least said in effect that nowadays who wants to wait to download an hour long symphony? This , I think, unearths another important point that should be brought up when considering the seemingly precarious state of c.m. today. We live in busy times where the majority of people want their entertainment wrapped up conviently as if it were fast-food from Mc Donalds. Our way seems lit up with the insatiable light of impatience,which leaves one totally blind to anything that doesn't temporarily surfeit the confining and insatiable appetite of impatience. It's a hasty, vicious circle, where love's impatience is as a fever, longing still for that which longer nurses the disease, feeding on that which further preserves the ill. Amid this type of atmosphere, who would want to sit down and actually listen to the forty cerebral minutes of Brahms' second symphony?<BR> Yet, ironically, I thinks it's this, the very enenmy of c.m., that gives c.m. the prized warmth and abundant strength it has in the hearts of its avid followers. C.m. to me represents a dearth where the scarcity of the thing makes the music deeply prized and cherished by those few that devotedly follow it. And so, to me, the seemingly precarious state of c.m. is in effect nothing more than a resplendant reflection not of its weakness, but of its enduring strength. Sincerely, jrs.

[serge urtizberea]

That is very true, jrs. I take a certain glee from knowing that I am the only one among my friends, coworkers, classmates... who can actually understand classical music. Everyone I know (I mean EVERYONE) thinks classical music is <BR>1.) sleep-inducing<BR>2.) too intellectual<BR>3.) something their grandparents would enjoy<P>Well, so be it. I know better, and you know better. C.m. may not be Britney Spears, but it's lots more stimulating. We are an elite group here! Let's take pride in that!

[thrillhouse]

That's what I was trying to say in my earlier posts. I don't care what the state of classical music is in our society. As long as I love it and a select few love it. It will always exist and be accessible to those few who are interested. If kids in today's schools are missing the point in how cool classical music is, then fine.. EAT IT! Look at it in the long run. Britney Spears is going to be studied in history classes 200 years from now. some people ae goign to want to learn it, some people won't. It's the same story here.. it's culture.. and I feel more cultured by following classical music and I just love listening to it. I know I'll raise my kids to enjoy classical music.. and I'll start that my naming my son Ludwig.

[jrs]

And you never know, thrillhouse. Maybe your little Ludwig will have some inexplicable wildfire burning from within. Those kind of ladies and guys either purge themselves or are self-consumed--sometimes both. On the otherhand, thrillhouse...

[thrillhouse]

On the other hand what? While my Ludwig will have a genuine appreciation for who he was named after, and all of classical music, he will grow up to be a star pro baseball player. <P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by jrs:<BR><B>And you never know, thrillhouse. Maybe your little Ludwig will have some inexplicable wildfire burning from within. Those kind of ladies and guys either purge themselves or are self-consumed--sometimes both. On the otherhand, thrillhouse...</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>

[dkm32]

Anyone catch "60 Minutes" last night? The second segment was about the music program in Venezuela. Kids, starting at the age of two, are given an instrument and taught Classical Music. The idea originally was to to produce good citizens who thought well of themselves. There are now a couple of hundred thousand kids playing (and enjoying) Classical Music. They showed kids who would rather practive their music than do anything else!

[watcher]

Serge, let me begin this posting by saying that I agree with you, I think classical music is taking a back seat in our culture. The kids are too busy listening to their heavy metal and rap and God knows what else is out there. I am personally thankful for WXXI-fm radio for playing the classical music that I so much enjoy. And let me end this transmission by saying that as I was scrolling down to click on the icon to post my reply, I noticed a quote by sparky, and I wholeheartedly agree, It will be a sad day when the only chance we will have to listen to classical music is on cartoons or movies.

[ReedMan]

When my children were born, I started exposing them to classical recordings at home. Over the past 6 months I have watched my 10 year old son progress in his piano lessons to the point that he is playing some classical pieces and learning more on his own. He even plays them for friends - all who tend to prefer BackStreet Boys and other pop music groups.<P>Best of all, his achievements in music are self-satisfying and seem to balance his school and sports activities. It's exciting to see another person discover the value of classical music and music education.<P>That's the way to keep classical music alive - educate others and let them pass on their knowledge. Schools need to keep their band, orchestra, choral programs alive - even if it takes Parent funding to make it happen.