Karl Miller writes:

>I am curious as to your use of the word decay.  I see an evolution.  For
>me, the concert hall is pretty much dead, yet in recording, I am able to
>hear things I never dreamt I would hear...the Antheil 1st Symphony is one
>recent example that comes to mind.  I can hear treasured performances from
>the past brilliantly transferred to CD by the likes of Obert-Thorn and
>Marston.  The amount of art music available in recording is remarkable.

I could not agree with you more about the amount of art music available
in recordings.  In my mind Tower Records, appropriately located down the
block from Symphony Hall and Jordan Hall in Boston, is the vital center
of music in that part of town - which is great, but also a shame.  It is
a shame because deep down I believe that recorded music is a wonderful
replica, yet still a replica of the Real Thing.  (I believe that on
tuesdays and thursdays.) Whatever the downside of recorded music, it
stetches our musical horizons in an unprecedented manner.  The Esterhazies
can't touch us, just as knights on horseback are not in the same league as
a contemporary in a Honda Accord.

So why do I use mention decay? It is nearly always the best of times and
the worst of times, so to talk of decay is probably not appropriate.  In
my frequent "glass is half full- glass is half empty" debates with Steve,
Steve the sometime pessimist has had an influence on Bernard the optimist.
!!!  Although I can tough out Charlie Rose not interviewng classical
composers, the fact is that the extreme minority status of classical
music may not be very healthy.  One of the NYT critics (Bernard Holland, I
believe) expressed the opinion that the largest musical talents may not be
gravitating to classical music because its profile is so low in the general
culture, and the rewards(not just monetary) of pop and rock may be too hard
to resist.  He may have a point.

It is hard to go past anecdotes and perceptions in all this.  I share with
you and Steve a dissatisfaction with the narrowness of concert repertory,
yet I would happily go to about two thirds of the BSO concerts in the
season coming up.  The question of music as part of the general culture is
a hard one.  You tie it in with the role of the piano, and you think that
that role is getting smaller.  OTOH I suspect that that more amatuer groups
get together to play quartets than they did a century ago, but that is
nothing but a guess, no doubt conditioned by living in Boston.  But there
are, or so I have read, large numbers of guitar players and accordionists
(!!!) around these days, and you wonder if some contemporary composers
might do the c.m.  enterprise and the players some good by writing for
them.  Maybe some are, for all I know.  But the classical community (that
includes all of us) probably should be doing more outreach.

Some signs of progress:

Young people at some concerts in Boston.  But...  we have
conservatories!!!!  May be misleading.  Young people joining our list.
Community choruses and orchestras.  Again, I may be biassed by the Boston
scene.  But the repertory can be adventurous.  The Brookline Syphony just
did Finzi's Cello Concerto- forty years old, but more than a bit off the
beaten path.  When I was in a suburban (Newton) choral society twenty years
ago, we did some Ives songs as well as the great super OTW Nelson Mass.

Naxos.  (See my forthcoming book, "How Naxos Saved Classical Music and,
in so doing, Civilization As Well ".) Finland - as evidence that strong
musical education can make a difference.  (There was an article on this
in the Sunday NYT magazine about 6 weeks ago.) Finally, c.m.  requires a
certain discipline and concentration.  C.m.  is generally longer than other
forms of music, and generally requires more of a committment on the part of
the listener unless it is just used as background.  This sounds like bitter
medicine but of course it is not- we zealots realize this.  Others do not.
There is a lot else available- we are swimming in entertainment and
diversions of all descriptions.  Most of it is Instant Payoff.  Living
composers turning good stuff out.  We will not agree on our lists- mine
includes Norgard, Gubadilina, Lindberg, Maw, Tsontakis, Rautawarra.  I am
grateful to them.

Bernard Chasan (who once knew how to spell most words)