Robin wrote: >I agree with his other comments about recordings being necessary for people >who live far from urban centers. But I never understood people who do live >in or near cities who do not support their performing arts institutions >with their presence. Collecting isn't a substitute for live music-making, >and does real harm to living musicians if it keeps audiences away. Most >organizations I know now have some kind of cheap ticket scheme, so money >shouldn't be an object to people who can invest the time. Conversely, I've >come to believe that the collapse of the recording industry will ultimately >prove beneficial for classical music, for it forces orchestras to focus on >their communities and paying audiences instead of awards given in other >countries. This shift has already started healthfully in Philadelphia. > Unfortunately, although Robin points out that there are some cheap-ticket schemes, often these schemes are for those concerts where the programs are not as well-balanced or structured as they normally are. This is the case with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The last time I went to a concert of theirs (admittedly a year ago now), I did notice the audience was rather mature and advanced in years, there were very few teenagers/early 20's in the audience. One reason is that tickets sell for a minimum $AUD 30-35 (even with concessions) and for university students such as myself, that is not cheap. As a side-note, when Maazel came out and did the relatively short program of the Brahms 2nd Symphony and the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra, cheapest tickets were $AUD 57. Then as Robin mentions, there is the time factor. As a student, I have a job (teaching the piano) and various other activities, including my local church and the university orchestra. Sometimes, students just don't have the time, especially if we live out in the suburbs. However, I do agree with him in that, given the number of recordings that are out there, it is very easy to sit at home and listen to the boom-box. I must say for myself that I go when I can and when I can afford it. Cheers, Clement Get your free Australian email account at http://www.start.com.au