Bernard Gregoire wrote:

>Charles Ives was right about symphony audiences, they are nothing but
>Namby Pamby's.  All "Rollos," indeed!  (You may remember the apocryphal
>Ives story about Rollo the plumber who visited Ives' home while he was
>composing.  Rollo complained about the noises emanating from the piano.
>In reply Ives barked "...Rollo, take your dissonance's like a man")

I agree with everything Mr.Gregoire says.  Does this not go to prove the
service provided to new/unfamiliar music by the recording industry, where
the listener has the chance to study the work by repeated hearings, in
his/her own home.

In the UK, where I live, some of the most successful concerts including a
new contemporary work have offered a pre-concert session where an expert in
the field or the actual composer have given an explanation of the work with
examples played by the performers/orchestra concerned.  Needless to say,
this is a rare and expensive luxury in a country where public funding for
the serious arts seems a political non-starter.

Mr Gale Andrews
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http://www.galeandrews.co.uk