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Posts: 1014
Location: PNW (summers) and Southern AZ (winters)
Joined: December 2, 2006
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.... is that a critical part of our musical heritage is being slowly lost, and the cited figure is stark evidence of that.
But that argument has been around for many generations, and probably even back to the time of the ancient Greeks and their pentatonic scale. If these genres are 'dying', their deaths are taking forever! ;-)
I suspect the 'classics' will always be kicking around; but just how 'good' will they be performed is another matter entirely.
What really concerns me about the trend cited above in the op is the ever-growing loss of the most talented YOUNG musicians who will simply ignore the previous classical avenues and proceed down the most popular (and likely most remunerative) musical pathways. And who can blame them? Big bucks, big fun, cute babes and much less 'work'? What's not to like?
Of course, it goes both ways: classically trained younger musicians many times simply 'bolt' from the straight-jacket of classical formalism and wildly embrace the freedom of modern popular music. A friend of mine did exactly this when he was a young man, and blew off a budding career as a classical pianist. And this guy was good! I mean really, really good. As in being a soloist with the Glendale Symphony Orchestra in his teens, kinda good.
Recently, looking back some 40 years ago, my friend wished aloud he had stayed with it, but then admitted the never-ending practice and studies and drills and recitals, all became too much. Although supremely musically talented, he simply did not have the discipline or drive that was necessary to succeed in the incredibly small and hyper-competitive world of classical music. Few do, apparently. And the numbers are getting smaller and smaller with each passing decade.
Sadly, it is unlikely we will see the type of discipline necessary to produce an Artur Rubinstein or Jascha Heifetz in our lifetimes. I hope not, but the likelihood is very great. The current rewards system for entertainers does not favor that outcome.
So I can empathize with the op about the appallingly small amount of sales of classical music, i.e., jazz and instrumental/symphonic/choral recordings. It does not portend for a robust and growing future of these genres of music. Talent, like people, usually will go where the money takes it. And that's popular music. Hell, I'd bet some serious bucks that Beethoven (or Mozart, for that matter) would have been a huge rock star if born today!
Yet, as was stated at the outset, the 'death' of classical music has been foretold for generations, and it is still out there, lurking for those weird enough to try and wrap their heads around it.
Popular music is just that: popular, and for a very good reason. It reaches lowest common denominator levels and pushes corresponding emotional buttons for maximum sales. Nice, sexy, simple tunes for nice, simple, over-sexed youthful minds. Challenge? Complexity? Come on! Get serious, please. Dumbing down is absolutely essential for entertainment-style activities, as reaching the widest possible audience, and not artistic achievement, is what is sought. True musical excellence and genius might even be liabilities in today's day and age. Simply put, they would likely get in the way of maximizing profits.
It's all about the Benjamins, baby!
Always has been. Always will be. For better or worse. (And usually, for the worse...... )
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