[MdRex]

Not everyone has interest in classical music.

Sometimes its like some art house movie, where people don't get it but thinks its "not bad" just to avoid looking dumb.

 

[raymondlin]

Actually, if Avril Lavigne starts playing then i might...just might call in sick and watch.

 

[Oistrakh]

Joshua Bell is way overrated... The Bach he was playing in that plaza thing was WAY out of tune... I wish Heifetz could have performed instead

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oistrakh /img/forum/go_quote.gif Joshua Bell is way overrated... The Bach he was playing in that plaza thing was WAY out of tune... I wish Heifetz could have performed instead

Can you imagine if the Post interviewed someone with that opinion? "Yeah, I knew it was Bell, but he was way out of tune, so I kept walking. Totally overrated. Now if it was Heifetz I woulda given him a Jackson at least.

"

 

[Riordan]

"oh yeah, that was joshua bell, i recognized him at once. but see, i had these etys in and it's just so hard to pull them out."

 

[chesebert]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rock&Roll Ninja /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have multiple recordings of Stard violins (and cello), but damned if I could tell it from a "regular" violin blindfolded.

get yourself some better gear. Strad, just from recording, since I have never heard one in person, has a more mellowed, and deeper sound than regular run of the mill. The sound of strad has more harmonic contents so it sound more tubby ..LMAO. please correct me if I am hearing it wrong.

 

[Dimitris]

I would rather listen to some Sonus Faber Stradivari speakers. Now that would draw attention.

 

[FalconP]

Update: someone who identifies himself as Gary Burton (jazz vibraphonist) spoke up (his comment is on this page) -- and predictably, he did not join the chicken-soup herd.

 

[ooh]

Interesting idea for an article, although the point may have been spun a bit.

I only *just* got into violins recently, and I am still having trouble appreciating it as much as I appreciate, for example, keyboard instruments (particularly piano, organ, and harpsichord). (Any suggestions / ideas?)

If I had recognized the piece as something I particularly liked, I would have stopped at least for a moment, as long as I wasn't late (very likely). And I rarely stop for anything--even street musicians (although we have few where I am, rarely ever even in large cities I've been to).

I don't like the old-school idea of music being broadcasted to me, or chosen for me. Or marketed. If I wanted to hear Joshua Bell, I would check out his CD. But I prefer recorded over live (I know, it hurts you all).

However, with all the above in mind, I checked out the video and no doubt I would have stopped for *that* just because of how out of place it was.

But if it was Argerich playing Scarlatti or Bach on a Fisher Price piano...or a Casio...I would have been stunned.

I just found out about Bell in the past week or so, and I generally step away from artists being sold to me as well, so I already have a bias against him.

I'm probably living a lie, but I like to think that, especially in the cases of the particular artists I like, much of the classical artists I like wasn't sold to listeners back in the day.

I do like the message that people are less in depth into things than they used to be. I believe it. Classical music was something I thought I wouldn't get into for decades, and if I can get into it, I think a lot more people can, as well.

"Are you kidding? The acoustics at L'Enfant are atrocious!"

 

[milkpowder]

Right I just read through the whole article so I'm sure as hell not going to read through this thread. Excuse me if I say exactly what everyone else has said.

Wow! What a great article! I would definitely have recognised Joshua Bell had he been playing. Also, the unmistakable tone of a fine Italian fiddle coupled with extraordinary playing would definitely have caught my attention. It only takes a few seconds to figure out whether someone is really good or not. Even if it wasn't Joshua Bell, someone attempting to play the Chaconne in public would be pretty special. If it was any good, I'd definitely stay and listen....

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chesebert /img/forum/go_quote.gif get yourself some better gear.

Such as...?

 

[gloco]

Hmm, I never heard of this guy (shrugs)

Back to the smashing pumpkins....

 

[MdRex]

Quote:

Hmm, I never heard of this guy (shrugs) Back to the smashing pumpkins....

lols. I was walking past a busker the other day and I thought of the similar thing, I would probably not notice because I was listening to music that I know I like.

 

[Oistrakh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn /img/forum/go_quote.gif Can you imagine if the Post interviewed someone with that opinion? "Yeah, I knew it was Bell, but he was way out of tune, so I kept walking. Totally overrated. Now if it was Heifetz I woulda given him a Jackson at least. "

Yeah... I think the main reason no one stopped was people that just wasn't very good playing... However, if it were James Ehnes playing, it would be a different deal...

 

[chadbang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oistrakh /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah... I think the main reason no one stopped was people that just wasn't very good playing... However, if it were James Ehnes playing, it would be a different deal...

I don't think it was his playing...it was that clockmaker of a composer Bach's music. People who think Bach is sublime could be entertained listening to a metronome.