Pomp But No Circumstance

Can classical music survive the recession and really appeal to the masses? Does it need to dumb down? No! With a little effort, listening to the music of genius composers offers great rewards.

Here we are then. The scary recession. I’m sorry, is it still going on? There has been mixed news that it’s slowly fading away but that the ‘confidence’ of the British consumer has been affected in the long term.  However, unless you’re into 100 inch plasma screens  life is pretty good for entertainment during this recession.

Sure, pubs are closing and high end restaurants are now letting in people in shorts and sandals. But that’s good because you can now enjoy a walk in the West End without being hit by drunks in suits stumbling out of a choice of 800 Gordon Ramsay eateries in London, holding a half-empty Jeroboam.

I’ve been to a number of concerts recently. My pick was the amazing folky-rocky-soully-jazzy-marvellous Gabby Young and Other Animals. You try telling them we were in a recession. It was packed with 500 souls on a Thursday evening and she’s not a global phenomenon, yet. But that’s not it. I heard the other day that sales of high-end grand pianos are on the up. Try explaining that.

In the Classical music world, recession doesn’t really matter. You have the über-famous, and they sell tickets even if they sleep on stage (I’ve seen it..), and then you have the rest, which never sell enough anyway, so for them it’s always a recession. They say it’s fashionable to be a skint artist so nobody complains.

The Albert Hall has been putting on Classic Spectaculars for years now. Cannons, Lasers, Land of Hope and Glory, the Royal Phil. It has it all. With a capacity of 5500 and usually full, recession really isn’t happening there. Coach loads from all over the South East fill this famous space for several nights in a row, of Pomp. It’s all fantastic but is the Circumstance right?

I can’t speak badly about the show. It really is insane. No expense spared, but is this exercise in making a ‘dying art form’ accessible actually undermining the very value of it? I mean, really, what happened to Chamber Music? Anyone for a String Quartet? How about a Piano Recital? Some of the greatest moments of music have been written for small ensembles or piano solo.

Beethoven wrote nine Symphonies, yes, but also 32 piano sonatas and 16 string quartets.  Chopin? He wrote only twice for orchestra and that was to play second fiddle to the pianist, sat in the middle of the stage. Arguably the greatest composer for piano music, was he? You bet and you won’t get that at the Albert Hall. The way I see it, Classical music can of course only be profitable if sold as a thrill, keeping it marketable, eccentric, exciting and ( I hate this one) relaaaaxing. It sends shivers down my spine to associate relaxing with, for example, Chopin. Yes, I suppose that relaxation is a by-product of some of his music. But if you want to relax, what’s wrong with a sauna? Or enjoying a G&T by the river, on a spring day? Listen to Ella, which tingles your senses without distracting you from your main activity - drinking G&T or sweating a lot with other naked people.

Sure, you’d say that you can use music for whatever function you want it to serve. And you’d be right. But then, if all you extract from Elgar, Brahms and Chopin is relaxation, then there’s not much point in being a genius. It’s like going to a restaurant and trying to order a white truffle veggie burger. Not quite the best function for white truffle. The same thing goes for a Pomerol, a Ferrari or Venice. You’re not just sipping a relaxing glass of wine on a relaxing ride on a way to a relaxing city break.  

I believe though that Classical music can retain some of its original values and still sell. There is nothing better, sometimes, than a piano recital. Many of you have, I’m sure, been to one. We are used to big noisy venues, so being sat in silence can be hard. Trying to concentrate for 40 minutes and then again after the interval is demanding, no doubt. But rest assured that if you can let your mind absorb the music it can feel like an out-of-body experience. The piano is a beast. The pianist is a beast too. It’s like a battle. A fantastic crescendo to an epic finale. A spectacular journey through the history of music and time.

Of course some people are worried about getting bored but seriously, come on, if one can sit through Watchmen or Solaris (I know you have) then there’s nothing to fear. It can be a truly memorable experience, unless the artist is über-famous and falls asleep (yes, again, I did see it). On the way out though, just watch out for those drunks in shorts and sandals.

Champagne Christmas Piano Recital
Warren Mailley-Smith, piano
St James’s Piccadilly – Thursday December 3rd 2009 at 7:30
Programme to Include - Beethoven Moonlight Sonata; Chopin: Scherzo No 2 and other pieces; Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue; Tom Hodge: (World Premiere) Paganini variations
Champagne included with your ticket.
Tickets: www.biaerbeckandholmes.com


Gabriele Faja