http://music.guardian.co.uk/classical/story/0,,2289751,00.html
I read this thought-provoking article in today's Guardian arguing that we suffer new classical music in order to hear the old classics.
"In New York, Philadelphia and Boston, concert-goers have learned to stay awake and applaud politely at compositions by Christopher Rouse and Tan Dun. But they do this only because these works tend to be short and not terribly atonal; because they know this is the last time in their lives they'll have to listen to them; and because the orchestra has signed a contract in blood guaranteeing that if everyone holds their nose and eats their vegetables, they'll be rewarded with a great dollop of Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn."
And being the Guardian there's a rebuttal;
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/07/no_were_not_as_bored_as_you_ar.html
I read this thought-provoking article in today's Guardian arguing that we suffer new classical music in order to hear the old classics.
"In New York, Philadelphia and Boston, concert-goers have learned to stay awake and applaud politely at compositions by Christopher Rouse and Tan Dun. But they do this only because these works tend to be short and not terribly atonal; because they know this is the last time in their lives they'll have to listen to them; and because the orchestra has signed a contract in blood guaranteeing that if everyone holds their nose and eats their vegetables, they'll be rewarded with a great dollop of Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn."
And being the Guardian there's a rebuttal;
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/07/no_were_not_as_bored_as_you_ar.html
On the other hand when I went to see some classical guitar I had a brilliant time.
And then there have been rock bands who were, and are still today, totally underwhelming on the live stage. One thing I took from this years Glastonbury was how few people could actually sing. Really dissapointing.
(sorry the quote thing doesn't work for me).
I read once that this should temporarily raise intelligence which is a nice side-affect of *good* classical music.