Re: [Harp-L] The Wonderful Internet

[Philharpn@xxxxxxx]

What I find particularly interesting is that nobody agreed with Robert's 
assessment.

The comments ranged from "if that many people looked at it, it must be 
good" to "harmonica players should   NEVER criticize another harmonica player."  
 Neither point of view improves the performance. 

I would have to say that almost without exception Robert is better informed 
about classical music than anyone else on this list and has performed it 
longer on the harmonica than anyone else in the list. If anyone would be in a 
position to judge the quality of the performance he would. Robert actually 
knows what he's talking about.

The player played wrong notes, left stuff out and truncated the piece in a 
mediocre performance -- but it sure was a spirited performance. But that 
doesn't make it a good performance.

Lots of people enjoy William Shatner's singing; many think he's a joke. 
Whatever they think of the performance doesn't make it any better.

Calling the harmonica performance mediocre doesn't make the harmonica 
player a bad person, just somebody playing out of his league. Sure it's fun, but 
is it art? It just goes to show that classical music is sometimes more 
difficult than gospel. 

What I really find remarkable about Robert's post is that he heard from a 
high school classmate. I only hear from mine every 10 years when it's reunion 
time.

BTW, I liked the video, but I also agree with Robert.

Phil Lloyd






In a message dated 10/10/10 10:04:01 PM, bon@xxxxxxxxxx writes:


> So I get this email from one of my high school class mates through 
> facebook; you have to see this, you just have to!!!
> 
> So I look and it's some guy playing harmonica at a religious meeting 
> at Carnegie Hall - although if you look at the title one would think 
> he was the actual virtuoso soloist booked into Carnegie.  The 
> announcer jokes with him about how the harmonica is a toy and then he 
> plays a little Bach on a diatonic.
> 
> The playing is horrible, but the crowd loves it and the celebration of 
> mediocrity goes on and on; and on to the Internet for everyone to 
> see.  And all of us are supposed to sit on hands and accept that the 
> player is trying the best that he can and that everyone has the right 
> to be an artist - in our case a harmonica soloist.
> 
> I am sorry folks, but I have watched hundreds of internet performances 
> and in the classical area, my area of expertise, most of it sucks.  It 
> does suck a little bit, the playing is really not good.  And even 
> though the playing isn't that good and everyone keeps patting everyone 
> else on the back!   Most of the good performances are from times 
> before the Internet or by players who were established before the 
> internet.
> 
> I think its time to start speaking out - (I would like to say it's my 
> old age and I have gotten intolerant to change), and I would say that 
> if the performance was WOW that was different but amazing.  But I am 
> finding the Internet has become an advertising tool for everyone and 
> therefore the mediocre have flooded the playing field.
> 
> Is this just me?  Am I alone here?
> 
> Harmonically yours,
> 
> Robert Bonfiglio
> http://www.robertbonfiglio.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>