Len Fehskens: >>far fewer people than formerly in the American population claim an >>interest in classical music. > >On what do you base this assertion? My understanding is that the number >has remained relatively constant at around (ballpark) 5% of the >population. I don't have statistics myself and Horowitz' (name) index will not find this for me but he does mention a survey or two that indicated decades ago that substantially more than 5% claimed an interest in this kind of music. I do recall his saying that something like 60% of New Yorkers, especially, knew who Toscanini was in the 1930s, and you would be hard-pressed to get that kind of survey result now about any classical musician. Maybe Beethoven? Jim Tobin