Linda Rogers writes:

>To have a tall and stable pyramid, you need a broad base, and it seems
>to me that the recording industry and recording consumers aren't supporting
>that base very well.

The support might not be strong, but I think it isn't realistic to
expect people to show up for live performances based solely on providing
"support".  There needs to be some basic desire to attend for one's own
enjoyment and/or musical rewards.

I've mentioned often in the past that I find the whole atmosphere of the
concert hall (as presently organized) to be alien and not to my liking.
I have offered some suggestions for improvement, and they have universally
been rejected by list members who do attend concerts frequently.  I have to
assume that matters will not change, and I'm not going to spend hours (even
if free of charge) in an environment I don't want to be be in for any
length of time.

>And I do find endless posts about what is the "best" recording of this
>and that a tad tiresome....

Those postings aren't endless; each one is finite.  Do I hear the
word "hobby"? For some of us, classical music is essentially our favorite
hobby, although a very significant and serious one.  I am a serious record
collector, not a "high art" person or a person out to save something about
classical music that might be eroding.  I love buying music, listening to
it, and writing about what I've bought and listen to.  The way I perceive
the situation, each person makes decisions based on preferences, and the
totality of those decisions tells us what's going on and what's likely to
happen in the future.  I strongly believe in people doing their own thing
with the overall results being whatever.  If all this concludes with the
base falling apart (which I doubt), then I'll live without the base.  My
humble opinion is that new ideas need to be brainstormed and implemented by
those in charge of organizing concerts.  Give me something to look forward
to and I'll be the first one to buy a ticket.

Don Satz
[log in to unmask]