Bernard Chasan wrote:

>Steve Schwartz on the trends in classical music in the USA:
>
>>The very large trends are a decline in amateur music-making, the rise
>>of a consumer-oriented, passive listenership dependent on recorded music,
>
>Is there any reason for thinking that there is less amateur music
>making now than in, say, 1900? I have read that most people who knew
>Beethoven's symphonies in the nineteenth century knew them through piano
>transcriptions, but what percentage of the population was involved?
>Today there is a fair number of amateur chamber music players and very
>accomplished community choruses, but I have no idea of percentages.

I think one needs to put the invention of the phonograph into that
equation.  On a day to day basis, back in 1900, if you wanted to hear
Music, you made music.  You might enjoy reading "Men, Women and Pianos."
It is an interesting social history of the piano and may provide some
perspective on how music making was really much more of a part of the
social fabric at one time.  I don't have the percentages either, but
assumptions, assumptions that would agree with Steve's perspective.

Karl