Posted on 03/17/2008 11:18:41 PM PDT by Borges
William Wolcott's violin studio is about the size of a large broom closet, yet it's often the site of amazing master classes.
Virtuoso Itzhak Perlman has held court there. Pinchas Zukerman, Sarah Chang and other fabulous fiddlers also have squeezed into the room.
They all fit because of a miraculous little invention: the Internet.
"There's an incredible amount of classical music now on the Internet, and it's really helping me teach my students," said Wolcott, an instructor at the Omaha Conservatory of Music. "We can sign on to YouTube right here in my studio and watch the world's greatest violinists perform and give master classes."
Visit the Web and you'll find thousands of classical musicians, critics and fans chattering away in a rapidly expanding classical blogosphere. Internet radio also is streaming performances from major opera companies, orchestras and concert halls. And perhaps most surprising, the Web is fueling a mini-boom in the classical recording industry.
Sales at ArkivMusic, an online classical CD emporium, rose 30 percent in 2007, an astounding figure considering that CD sales in general were down more than 15 percent in the United States last year, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Classical downloads likewise have been brisk. At eMusic, the world's second-largest digital music service after iTunes, classical music now represents 12 percent of its overall European sales, and its business in the U.S. is not far behind. That's a big increase for a genre that rarely made up more than 2 or 3 percent of total sales in record stores.
The Internet, of course, is no miracle cure. Past technological innovations - from the Edison cylinder and the LP to the compact disc - also were hailed as classical music saviors. Once the novelty wore off, the genre usually found itself back in the margins.
But on the Internet, being a marginal or niche interest isn't necessarily bad.
"What the Internet has done is fragment the entire music and entertainment industry, so in the future, I don't think we're going to see as many Michael Jackson-like mega acts," said Douglas McLennan, founder of the online periodical ArtsJournal and an expert on Web-based arts culture. "On the Internet, everything is a niche, and in that kind of environment, classical music is one of the bigger niches."
The Internet has fragmented the music world, but it also has opened opportunities for ordinary musicians.
A quarter-century ago, only superstar artists could get recording contracts. Now a musician like Wolcott can record and market his own CDs, since the Internet gives him direct access to the public. Wolcott is selling a locally produced album of children's lullabies, "Stardust," on his MySpace page.
The Web also gives people more immediate access to star performers. Last year, Wolcott came across the Internet site of acclaimed violinist Dylana Jensen, a past medalist at the Tchaikovsky International Violin Competition. He sent her an e-mail, and she immediately responded.
"I never would have been able to reach a famous artist so easily before the Internet," Wolcott said.
Koyal Ansingkar, 9, plays during her violin lesson with William Wolcott at the Omaha Conservatory of Music.The Internet provides famous musicians with a virtual buffer, so they're more willing to interact with the public. That same anonymity has made it easier for ordinary people to approach classical music and that, in turn, has helped fuel the current boom in the classical recording industry.
"I think the intimidation factor that we associate with classical music largely disappears on the Internet," said Rob Wetstone, vice president of label relations at eMusic. "People surf our site and just stumble on things, and they get recommendations about what to buy from other people who use our site, people who are just like them."
For example, eMusic's message board is a kind of virtual office water fountain, a place where music enthusiasts can blog about their favorite recordings and get tips.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about eMusic, iTunes and other digital sites, though, is cross-genre buying. Nearly a third of eMusic's classical sales go to customers who've never downloaded a classical piece. Similarly, iTunes sells as much hip-hop to classical buyers as jazz, the company recently told New Yorker magazine.
"I'm one of those people who used to avoid the pop music section of a record store, but now I listen to just about everything," said Jennifer Barlament, the Omaha Symphony's general manager. "On the Internet, it's less risky to listen to music you don't know, partly because it's cheaper."
A single classical CD on a prestige label like Deutsche Grammophon can cost nearly $20 in a retail shop. But on eMusic, 30 downloads are $10. Because customers must pay for the downloads in advance - and since the downloads don't roll over from month to month - there's a built-in incentive to listen, experiment and buy.
The future seems to point to digital downloading. But that doesn't mean classical CDs - as opposed to the pop variety - will become extinct. CDs still offer better sound quality than MP3s, and they also come with liner notes. Classical buffs appreciate those details, which could explain the recent success of ArkivMusic.
"There's an assumption that the entire music industry is moving away from CDs, but our business has been growing at an accelerated pace because we've tapped into a market that was previously being underserved," said Eric Feidner, president of ArkivMusic.
The fastest growing part of ArkivMusic's business is an on-demand service that allows customers to buy CDs that are no longer in the catalog.
"I was surfing ArkivMusic and found a long out-of-print recording of the Melos Quartet playing Schumann and Brahms," said Omaha Symphony principal violist Thomas Kluge. "My former teacher played viola for Melos, and I can't tell you how much it meant to me to find that recording."
Classical music's vast catalog, encompassing a repertoire stretching over nearly 1,000 years, probably will keep ArkivMusic busy burning CDs for years. The company deals only in CDs and has avoided jumping into the MP3 business. But that could change, Feidner said.
"Sound quality is important to our customers," he said. "But we'll keep eyeing downloads as the technology improves, because we know it's a big part of classical music's future."
Back at Wolcott's studio, one small part of classical music's future is busy practicing one of H.E. Kayser's violin études.
Nine-year-old violin student Koyal Ansingkar said she's a frequent Internet user. Her family is from India, so she's been listening to a lot of Indian music online. She also uses the Web to study violin.
"Mr. Wolcott told me to go to YouTube and check out Sarah Chang playing violin," said Ansingkar. "I've learned a lot from it."
Wolcott agreed and offered encouragement. "Once you get that Kayser étude polished, maybe we should put you on YouTube," Wolcott said.
Ansingkar nodded.
"Absolutely," she said.
Classical Music Ping
Somewhat unrelated, but in many cities you can watch a live performance of the Met in a big screen movie house on saturday afternoon, or a replay on Sunday.
Please add me to your list.
Thanks =)
With the digital sound and the speaker systems’ you can purchase today really adds to the listening quality of classical music.
Been listening ever since I purchased my first P/C.
http://radioplayer.aol.com/player/launcher?ar=us_en_radio_980x883_aolradio&id=radio:aggregate:21362
For several years, national public television was providing operas, concerts and ballets by the greatest stars, now there's barely anything on its cable anymore. The classic musical performing arts genre has turned exclusive again TV-wise.
But the internet has helped by providing inclusion for many of the arts-starved masses who enjoy the classical arena.
Leni
ping
Done.
...One of my favorite YouTube videos....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yemjrHeh9gY My father’s favorite piece of music.
There are lots of 'stations' on the web; here's WCPE - ClassicalStation.org ^ that has RealPlayer, WinMedia, Ogg Vorbis, MP3, and QuickTime streams.
Good. I didn’t know this.
Three more shows left this season. I recommend them all.
http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/broadcast/hd_events.aspx
I want to thank you for this link. This is the most wonderful site (after FR, of course)! I will be blissfully wandering through the classical archives for years!
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