KillingClassicalMusic

For today’s Question of the Week, go here.

A recent article discusses British composer Jonathan Harvey’s call for amplified classical music as a way to attract young audiences.  From the article:

“Young people don’t like concert halls… and wouldn’t normally go to one except for amplified music,” [Harvey] says in a radio interview to be broadcast today. “There is a big divide between amplified and non-amplified music. The future must bring things that are considered blasphemous, like amplifying classical music in an atmosphere where people can come and go, and even perhaps… and certainly leave in the middle of a movement if they feel like it.”

Getting up and leaving mid-movement?!? Are you kidding?  Frankly, that sounds a bit nuts.  And thus, I really like it.  I’m not sure how or if this would work or do any good, but it’s radical, and since we’re not talking about life and death, radical is good.  Let’s try it!

But not everyone is happy about this idea.  For instance, cellist Julian Lloyd Webber says:

“Tinkering around with classical music in this way is not going to do what Jonathan hopes it will,” [Lloyd Webber] said. “Of course I have played amplified music in concert myself, and the problem is that you are no longer in control. Even if you go through it all with the sound technicians in rehearsal, in concert you don’t really know what the audience is hearing and this takes control of the performance away from the performer.”

Can you guess what I see as the crux of his statement and where he goes wrong?  It’s right here: “…this takes control of the performance away from the performer.” (e.a.)  Those, my friends, are the words of someone who has not perceived the magnitude of the paradigm shift we’ve undergone.  That is what a record label crying about illegal downloading instead of shifting their business model sounds like.  That is what Greenpeace sounded like before they finally let go of the Mister Splashy Pants event.

One of the quickest ways we can kill (i.e. reinvigorate) the classical music world is to give up at least some control.  I’m not exactly sure what this will or should look like, but I’m trying to explore it in some of my compositions.  More random singing for instance.  Audience participation, etc.

Many other forms of entertainment are winning by ceding control.  Can classical music do so too?

Read the whole article here, and share you thoughts in the comments on this page below.  Also check out today’s Question of the Week, and share your thoughts on the importance of audience etiquette.

So…What do you think?