Sounds and Fury calls 'em like they see 'em on classical music.  I too am sick and tired of reading about the death of great music.  It is part of our culture of crisis.  Everything is on the brink -- great music, polar bears, the planet and boomers in their dumb-ass Saab's during traffic jams. 

Everyone has a solution to "fix" classical music.  Shorter segments (because we have Adult ADD), snacks during the performance, more accessible (read: crappy) music and:

"The irony, Stockhammer believes, is that audiences in Australia, Britain and America demand the highest level of technical proficiency from their orchestras, but also scare orchestras out of trying fresh content and taking risks.

Hence the need for that substantial jolt - anything to get the blood pumping again.

"That includes all kinds of interesting collaborations, experiments, working with multimedia, working with art, working with rock artists, working with film: things that draw in the interesting audience," Stockhammer says."

Dear God.

If you already love classical music, you know it is not on the brink.  If you don't, I recommend that you listen to these pieces and can almost guarantee that you will be hooked:

Bach's Goldberg Variations - It is winter.  Build a fire, turn the lights off and play either Glenn Gould's version or Simone Dinnerstein's version. . .Or put a cage up in the middle of a giant room, kill two guards and listen to it as you place the skin from one guard's face on your own face.  (Watch Silence of the Lambs and you'll get it.)

Bach's Unaccompanied Cello Suites - Same routine, more time.  I suggest Yo Yo Ma's version.  You will find your heart rate dropping and your soul soaring.

Mozart's Violin Concertos- Move to the kitchen.  Make some soup from scratch or a large Italian meal while you suck down a bottle of ballsy red wine.  

Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune - Morning.  Cup of coffee.

Beethoven's Symphonies - In the car, loud.

Mozart's Vespers - Late Sunday afternoon.  Late any afternoon.  Sing along if you like.

Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto - Anne-Sophie Mutter is hot.  This piece is amazing.  

Mozart's Piano Sonatas - I don't know if you will get smarter listening to this but it always makes me focus on a project.

I'm not going to do ten.  My point is that there is nothing endangered about this music.  I don't need potted ferns and chardonnay to enjoy this.  It is timeless.  If you don't care to listen to it, screw you.  You ignore it at your peril.

Thanks, Sounds and Fury.  I had a good time with this.