Free the Piano Player!

[arensky]

A colleague sent me this article by Terry Teachout. Very interesting. I've been aware of the problems with the current state of classical music performance vis a vis the "public" for a long time and it was good to see some of my concerns voiced by a prominent arts person. I'd like to read Hamilton's After the Golden Age, I'll bet there's a lot in there I could relate to.

But it seems that there is no solution offered in the book (there isn't in the article) so maybe it's just a rant fest. After all we can't just turn back the clock and have it be 1908 again, lovely though that might be. I would miss a lot of what the 20th Century brought to music. Anyway, discuss! 

https://www.commentarymagazine.com/viewarticle.cfm/Free-the-Piano-Player-11278

[Petter]

Yes please release me.
 Anyway, I think the lack of interest in classical music comes from: 1). Neglecting music education at a fundamental level 2). Very little medial attention 3). The contradiction of being both an entrepreneur and an artist. 4). The incapacity of accepting that learning an instrument takes time. 5). Scholars and people possesing music knowledge spend more energy fending of colleagues and arguing among themselves instead of adressing the layman.
 And so on. Seems like an interesting book.

[arensky]

Yes please release me.

let me go 
 

Anyway, I think the lack of interest in classical music comes from: 1). Neglecting music education at a fundamental level 2).

As in grade school, ages 9 and under? What kind of music education should they have? I'll bet yours (Sweden?) is better than here (USA). Where I live kids up to the age of 12 (6th grade) have an excellent exposure to music in public school, IF their parents sign them up for it. After that, their music education falls apart, it seems to me.

 

Very little medial attention

Yes, that's been true since the 80's. Why, I wonder...

 

3). The contradiction of being both an entrepreneur and an artist

I don't see why this is a factor; a professional musician must be a entrepreneur unless s/he is sheltered by academia. Perhaps this is one of the things we need to get back to in classical music. Music is a business as well as an art; expertise in both art and business skills are necessary for a successful career in music.

.

4). The incapacity of accepting that learning an instrument takes time

Well, this seems obvious to me. These same "instant gratification" people don't expect to be a Tiger Woods or David Beckham overnight in sports or athletics.; don't know why they expect overnight success from music. I expect that the prevalence of recorded music as opposed to live has something to do with this. They expect that playing an instrument is as simple as turning on the stereo.

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5). Scholars and people possesing music knowledge spend more energy fending of colleagues and arguing among themselves instead of adressing the layman.

Yes.
 

[gerry]

Thanks for bringing this book to my attention - I immediately went to Amazon and bought it. Classical music performance today is indeed in a transition. What with the availability of videos and recordings, I find myself longing for some sort of a unique experience when I attend a concert - something I wouldn't find on an easily available form of media. The thought of a performer "preluding" between selections, speaking to the audience, or some other example of spontaneity sounds refreshing to say the least. I just attended a performance by Christopher O'Riley playing Bartok Concerto #3 and, although it was a fairly straight-forward performance, he was refreshingly informal, hugging the conductor, applauding the orchestra, and just making contact with the audience through gestures (not to mention what a relief it was not to have to sit through another Rach #2, Tchai #1, etc.).

[Petter]

As in grade school, ages 9 and under? What kind of music education should they have? I'll bet yours (Sweden?) is better than here (USA). Where I live kids up to the age of 12 (6th grade) have an excellent exposure to music in public school, IF their parents sign them up for it. After that, their music education falls apart, it seems to me.

We have a school where everyone has the opportunity to start learning an instrument. Currently the goverment initiated cutbacks on funding which resulted in sacking alot of teachers. They much rather use the money to finance talented and privileged (ie rich) children. I personally think this is wrong and that it in the long run undermines democracy and promotes rifts beetwen social classes. But then again I´m a commie bastard.

I don't see why this is a factor; a professional musician must be a entrepreneur unless s/he is sheltered by academia. Perhaps this is one of the things we need to get back to in classical music. Music is a business as well as an art; expertise in both art and business skills are necessary for a successful career in music.

I just meant in terms of not being a complete sellout. Again this is subjective and it´s something I would find hard to do if I had the talent and discipline to be a proffesional musician.

 

[arensky]

We have a school where everyone has the opportunity to start learning an instrument. Currently the goverment initiated cutbacks on funding which resulted in sacking alot of teachers. They much rather use the money to finance talented and privileged (ie rich) children. I personally think this is wrong and that it in the long run undermines democracy and promotes rifts beetwen social classes.

Music education in schools here suffered from that in the 80's, some of the programs were restored or replaced but many never came back. As for rich kids getting preferential treatment adn acsess to classical music education, that always seemed to be the case to me except when the kids were so talented that they were funded by schools or wealthy individuals. It's always seemed to me that classical music is the province of the upper crust; I was rebuked for pointing that out early on in my participation in this forum. Not saying that it's right, but it's how things are. Not everyone has the money to spend on music lessons, sadly.

I think if the government (or any private institution) is going to bankroll talent, it should be on the basis of that and that only, regardless of wealth or social class. Unfortunately other considerations always enter into the picture. Real fairness is an elusive thing.

But then again I´m a commie bastard.

                                           

                                          There are support groups for that... 

[timothy42b]

While I believe strongly that music education is as necessary as math and writing, and that a rounded music education includes a variety of genre's as well as performance opportunity, part of this is the natural evolution not only of music but of society.

What we call classical music could also be termed cover bands for dead white guys - an affluent white society of roughly 200 years ago.  Well, those long dead white guys didn't just play music from 400 years ago, they mostly wrote and played contemporary music, which we have lovingly preserved, but sometimes also petrified and ossified.

Music has moved on, and in every culture throughout history music from 200 years prior has been a niche interest.  I see no reason for this to change, and in fact it is likely to accelerate as our culture becomes increasingly diversified.

Yes, I listen to classical music, on CD and with full price tickets to live concerts.  But if it can't earn its keep we don't need to subsidize it forever.   

[slobone]

While I believe strongly that music education is as necessary as math and writing, and that a rounded music education includes a variety of genre's as well as performance opportunity, part of this is the natural evolution not only of music but of society.

What we call classical music could also be termed cover bands for dead white guys - an affluent white society of roughly 200 years ago.  Well, those long dead white guys didn't just play music from 400 years ago, they mostly wrote and played contemporary music, which we have lovingly preserved, but sometimes also petrified and ossified.

Music has moved on, and in every culture throughout history music from 200 years prior has been a niche interest.  I see no reason for this to change, and in fact it is likely to accelerate as our culture becomes increasingly diversified.

Yes, I listen to classical music, on CD and with full price tickets to live concerts.  But if it can't earn its keep we don't need to subsidize it forever.   

Even in the past, very few composers were able to make a living just from their compositions. Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Wagner and Tchaikovsky all had wealthy patrons. Bach's duties as a kapellmeister including teaching Latin. Liszt no doubt made more money as a performer than a composer. The only really lucrative branch of classical music was the opera, and then only if you had a hit.

And it's not true that music of the past wasn't performed. Church music from the Renaissance continued to be performed in the Vatican and in English churches. Bach's music was studied by every generation of music students. Mozart's most popular operas were revived frequently after his death. And Beethoven's music has never ceased to be played.

As for the original article, I'm not sure I agree. The death of classical music has been predicted for a long time now. First jazz was going to kill it, then rock 'n' roll, now rap, whatever.

It's true that you see a lot of gray hair at concerts in small towns in the US. But other branches of the business are thriving. The Met's been having a spectacular success with their movie theater simulcasts. The top 20 or so artists (whoever they are this week) sell out wherever they go.

And music education is as strong as ever, despite what many assume. It's harder to get into a top conservatory today than it's ever been.

It could be that the part of the business that's hurting the most is the lower and middle sectors -- performers who are talented but maybe not brilliant. I think it's hard for somebody like that to make a living unless they're in an orchestra, teach, or have some kind of day job.

[Derek]

My favorite part:

"What few of today’s concertgoers know is that there was once a time when classical recitals were very different—less straitlaced, more improvisational, and, above all, more populist in tone."

You mean people actually were more easy going about it and actually enjoyed themselves? no way!!