Edmund Cole writes: >I read that Eschenbach was leaving at the Gramophone site last week. >I wonder what was gong on with such a short tenure. Boy! the world >of classical music has really been turned upside down in our life time. >Tower closing down, conductors pushed to the side, orchestras without >recording contracts, halls going empty. I fear for the future. I have fears about the impacts of global warming, but I am optimistic about classical music. From what I've read, the Tower situation is a case of a company poorly reacting to new technologies. As for orchestras losing recording contracts, the trend is for them to start their own labels such as the San Francisco Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra. So, do not fear the future. There are hundreds of concerts each year in the world's larger cities, and classical recordings come at us fast and furious. It's best to remember that classical music has always been a "fringe" sector of the economy. Don Satz [log in to unmask]