Bob C. writes:

>I may be an exception -- except for the part about the movies.  If I were
>a betting man, I'd wager that many folks my age have come to know and love
>CM from films.

I agree; many people I know with what I'd call a "developing" interest
in CM got started with the likes of "Conan" or "Shine".  I think another
inroad to greater understanding is the conflation of genres and styles,
when used well.  I'm not speaking of crossover, or Yo-Yo Ma movies, but of
"pop" music which uses "classical [art]" forms and ideas and applies them,
creating more of a "bridge" than crossover (or am I mincing words?).  I am
thinking in particular of a few things.  I'd say experimental/modal/free
jazz opened up people's ears to the likes of Bartok.  After hearing Miles
improv over model parallel 5ths, the folk melodies and quasi-modal or modal
sounds of early 20th century CM are less suprising.  Forward-thinking "art"
jazz or rock bands have successfully used "CM" ideas.  King Crimson, at
their most virtuostic and avant-garde, use polyrhythms and atonal
progressions which could easily open up one's ears to neo-classicism.
I'd also like to mention (going out on a limb on this list?) the use of
Rachmaninoff's much-used Prelude in c#, Op. 3/2 and Stravinsky's Firebird
Suite sampled to great effect on the latest Beastie Boys album.  There, I
said it.  Scoff if you will.  I like it.  And when I play the Rach prelude
for people sans beats & rhymes my friends are astounded at how cool it is
all by itself.

Bob K.