Karl Miller wrote:

>"Fresh Air ", in common with other NPR ventures (Nice Peoples' Radio)
>has contributed its little bit to the marginalization of classicial music
>simply by ignoring its existence.

So fewer and fewer Nice People consider classical music as music- it is
more like say - Quantum Field Theory.  True, every so often a Steven
Hawking or a Brian Greene writes an inspired and well written semi-popular
book on the frontiers of physics, - that is something very different.

It is well documented that NPR would, rather than classical music,
broadcast the audio equivalent of test patterns, as anyone can confirm
by tuning in on weekend afternoons.  And they have the consultants to
"prove" that locally originating classical music is a disasterous financial
choice for NPR stations.  It makes you think - maybe these folks are not
that good at news either.

This thread has discussed the mess that classical music recording is in
because orchestral costs in this country are so high.  Naxos has neatly
solved this problem by using orchestras in remote corners of the globe
like the Ukraine and New Zealand.  It sounds like more outsourcing is
likely to be part of the solution.  It is a bit bizarre to listen to an
American music cd recorded in Eastern Europe, but the general globalization
trend makes it less bizarre than it might have been.  If you dial Earthlink
tech support you get the Phillipines.  Brave New World!

Bernard Chasan