Milan Gowin wrote:

>The downside I see with the commercialization of classical music (a la
>Bocelli, Vanessa Mae and especially Sarah Brightman), is that there are
>people who all of a sudden become "experts" on the subject of classical
>music after hearing Bocelli, Mae or some "poperatic" stuff like Sarah
>Brigthman.

I too have a record store gig, and to the above I can completely relate.
I am all for novices expanding their horizons, but the nouveau expert is
an annoying creature indeed!  They rankle me almost as much as those who
are slaves to the Penguin Guide.  (Kevin now ducks the arrows)

>And what is frustrating with that is that in some case they
>refuse to expand their musical horizons.  In those case I want to scream
>and knock some sense into them, but all I can do is be polite.

This is a big frustration for me too.  Further I find those folk who can
listen to about thirty seconds of a work and determine that they don't like
it.  Maddening.

>Luckily, this is more often the exception, rather than the norm.  Either
>way, the haughty classical image has to go, how it's done I don't care,
>but hopefully someday I hope to walk into a classical store, dressed in my
>Pink Floyd shirt and jeans, and not be looked down upon as some inferior
>bastard.

I used to be a lot more snobbish that I am today.  This tendency is going
away fast as I plug away at running a professional choir here in Dallas.
The Helios Ensemble's audience is made up in large part at present by
friends of mine and the choir's who come to support us as their buddies
and leave having fallen in love with the music.  On May 6 we are converting
the audience to Buxtehude Disciples.  All are welcome!

Kevin