Dear reader,
In my last post, I very determinately said that people today don’t relate to art the same way that they did in the past. I feel that I need to expound to that.
A few weeks ago was the opening of the current season of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The program was wonderful. It included a world premier by Steven Stucky and LA Phil’s first performance of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel. I listened to the concert on the radio – the live broadcast from the classical station KUSC. It made me think of something I have observed while going to art functions, particularly in recent years. I find today’s audience quick to extol and exalt new works, but I’ve never seen it boo or decry a work. I don’t mean that Mr. Stucky’s new work is to be booed by any means. I actually liked it; there were very stirring and beautiful moments of music in it, but I think I need a second listening to be considered a fan. I don’t feel like I grasped it, like I received it inside. That is, however, most likely due to my own lack of maturity or understanding than a poor performance on the part of the composer!
Yet, I have been on other concerts of new music where I actually didn’t like the piece at all. I thought it was pretentious, very ambitious without delivering true art experience. And this wasn’t my opinion only. People more musically educated than me also thought the same. Yet the majority of the audience applauded and cheered to no end. Now, if this was a single instance, I could say I was wrong, the audience was right and the piece really was great. But I regularly attend concerts with modern classical music, and this seems to be the case every time. Actually, I’ve never been to a concert that I can remember (let’s say the last 10 years) that a work was booed or that there was a great negative emotion expressed by the audience. And when I consider popular music – people only go to concerts that they know they like the performers.
Yet the above mentioned Rite of Spring by Stravinsky caused a riot on its first performance in 1913. People were so offended by the music and dancing that they booed within the first bars. The supporters felt so adamant about defending the work that a real riot started – with punches and fights – and the police was called to intervene before intermission.
Today, the only protest to art has to do with political or religious rights, even animal rights. Those can be very valid protests, but I question how much the art was art. When was the last time people were willing to argue and fight over a painting or a song that are not a political statement of some sort? If they did then and we don’t now, then our attitudes toward art have changed. And to understand that better, I’d like to dwell more on the past, even the distant past as much as I can.
Why didn’t I boo the musical work that I didn’t like? I don’t think I can answer that question right now. I really have to think about it.
Art and the Invisible 
The topic is very broad. There is no single answer of these questions. But because you are talking about classical music, where you have to “like” music in different way, people are simply… tolerant not to express their opinion. Or just do not experience music as something personal! Or just do not care as others might expect to care!
Best,
Ivelina