Re: [Harp-L] Harmonica America

["Planet Harmonica" <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Pierre said :
> I think the problem with classical music is that there is no easy way to 
> get into it.
>
> Take Jazz for instance, people can listen to Kenny G, Norah Jones, Diana 
> Krall, Ella and Louis, Dave Brubeck (Take Five album) or whatever and 
> slowly work their way towards Coltrane. Its like getting to like wine by 
> starting with sweet wines, with time you acquire a taste for drier wines.

Despite not being a great classical afficionado, I respectfully disagree. 
There's a lot of easy to get into and very popular classical stuff. Heck, 
you could probably fill a couple of dozen CDs with only music that has been 
used for blockbuster movies or commercials. So I doubt that's the problem. I 
suspect it has more to do with an image that is not in synch with the image 
western society has of itself.

As I recently mentioned on my blog (http://harmonica.typepad.com), I had the 
chance to go and see Jean-Jacques Milteau accompanied by the French National 
Orchestra, and despite the fact the repertoire was not classical per se but 
rather orchestral arrangements of jazz and folk tunes, the sheer power of 
the orchestra blew me away. It made me dig out all the Gershwin, Mussorgsky, 
etc. that I hadn't listened to for years, and although it's nowhere near as 
interesting on the stereo, it's still powerful and accessible stuff...

I suspect I'll be one of those guys who redicovers classical in his 
forties... Still got a few years to enjoy heavy metal and jazz-rock. Phew !

Ben FELTEN