Pearls before breakfast
Joshua Bell, one of the world's greatest violinists, decides to get his million-dollar Stradivarius and play in a metro station in Washington D.C. for about 45 minutes, like many other musicians who play in the streets, to see whether someone will recognise him and how many people will actually stop to listen. The entire performance was recorded by a camera, and the video is posted in the article.
He decides not to play popular pieces that might draw interest by its familiarity. However, some of the masterpieces he performs are written by Bach, Schubert and Jules Massenet.
About 1,000 people pass by, and only three people actually stop to listen, with one person recognising him. Honestly, I think what is particularly sad is the fact that the great mass of the people are not interested in classical music anymore, preferring all kinds of so-called popular music. Before you say, that can only happen in America, I am pretty sure that in Europe such an experiment will have the same results. Put a rock star or a nobody-who-is-on-tv on a metro station and you will have to send the police to be able to get the famous guy out of there.
One of the best articles I have read for some time.
The Washington Post: Pearls before breakfast (via Digg)
He decides not to play popular pieces that might draw interest by its familiarity. However, some of the masterpieces he performs are written by Bach, Schubert and Jules Massenet.
About 1,000 people pass by, and only three people actually stop to listen, with one person recognising him. Honestly, I think what is particularly sad is the fact that the great mass of the people are not interested in classical music anymore, preferring all kinds of so-called popular music. Before you say, that can only happen in America, I am pretty sure that in Europe such an experiment will have the same results. Put a rock star or a nobody-who-is-on-tv on a metro station and you will have to send the police to be able to get the famous guy out of there.
One of the best articles I have read for some time.
The Washington Post: Pearls before breakfast (via Digg)
