Richard Yasko ([log in to unmask]) wrote:

>I'm not a classical musician, just a very interested classical music
>listener.  However, I hope to become a capable amateur classical pianist,
>as soon as I can take it up as a hobby.
>
>For a long time I listened to just hard rock and heavy metal, before I
>discovered classical music.  The best violin solo is worlds better than a
>great electric guitar solo with tapped-on harmonics.

You are surely assuming that great electric guitar solos only occur in
"hard rock and heavy metal"? I don't think that's a valid assumption.  I
think what you are tiring of is the "fastest guitar in the West" syndrome
which afflicts many rock guitarists and their fans.  One of the earliest
known examples of this kind of superficial speed demon is Alvin Lee (of
Ten Years After) in Woodstock.

Feeling is 10000000000000000000000000000000000000% more important than
sheer technique.

Or, to quote Duke Ellington (or was it COunt Basie) somewhat out of
context "it on't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing".
...
>Heavy metal still gets a lot of my listening time, mainly because I lack
>the $$$ to build up my little classical CD collection, but I'm working on
>it.  Also I'm eagerly awaiting a standard format to succeed the CD --
>either SACD or DVD/Audio.

Don't hold your breath.  There's a *lot* of money invested in CD hardware
and software around the world.  The labels got burned by the "next big
thing" several times (Quadrophonic, DCC, DAT), I can't see them rushing
to a new format.  Especially when downloading stuff off the net seems to
be the way they want to go.

Deryk Barker
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