# Non-US residents: How popular is classical music in your country/culture?



## humanbean (Mar 5, 2011)

As many of you may have realized from reading posts on this forum (and general consensus amongst US classical listeners) classical isn't very popular amongst the general population in the US. Yes, we do have people who like to listen to "a little Chopin" here and there, but if you've ever been to the US, you may have noticed that most people prefer accessible pop tunes from their favorite radio station. Many do not take the time to listen delve deep into classical works, even pieces by famous composers.

What I find peculiar is that despite this, they still hold classical composers in an extremely high regard. What I mean by this is, if you were to ask a random street goer if Mozart was a greater composer than Paul McCartney, they would most likely say Mozart. This is surprising, due to the fact that most would rather listen to the Beatles than Mozart any day (though one could argue that people listen to popular music only for extra baggage, such as image, lyrical content, artist antics, etc.)

My question is, do you find this same behavior towards classical among residents in your country? Or would you say there are a lot more/less active classical listeners?


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## jalex (Aug 21, 2011)

My experience in the UK is the same as yours. Hardly anyone really listens to classical music but I've met enough people, generally teenage girls/young women, who say things like 'I love classical music!

...it's so relaxing.'

Then bang on for a a bit about how I Giorni makes them cry.

Most people I know well almost instantly turn off at the mention of anything related to classical music so I can't answer your other question.


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## samurai (Apr 22, 2011)

I think your point is very well taken vis a vis the typical "man in the street" and his view/opinion regarding classical as opposed to other musical genres. I believe a lot of this has to do with the seeming mystery that cm has surrounded itself with over the years, whether deliberately or not. After all--if I remember correctly--it has often been alluded to as "long-haired"{before the Beatles stole that moniker} or "high-brow" music, which isoff-putting to a lot of people who from the jump believe they are incapable because of a lack of enough intellect to possibly grasp, appreciate and really "get" this music as easily as they might be able to with "popular music", if at all. 
As I am no expert in music nor a music historian, I am unsure by which "side" these types of barriers were created and erected. I guess it might well be another example of which came first, the chicken or the egg.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

I'm pretty sure that there is no place in this world (or at least in countries where classical music has traditions) to which your description of U.S society wouldn't fit as well. A place where you would ask random stranger what music he likes and he would talk to you about periods, genres and performers like he would really know what it's all about? Dreamers. I think that if given city has enough real music lovers to fill it's opera house audience with people who really understand and care about what they see and hear on stage - it's good enough for these days.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Not as popular as I would like. Outside the major capital cities, I would think it is a minority interest. In Sydney (Australia's largest city), we have a resonably strong classical music industry that I would say is half way between the major European cities' and other large cities in the world that has less of a classical music industry (perhaps some large cities due to cultural or other reasons, for example in Asia). From professional symphony orchestras employing performers of high calibre that are relatively well paid to student / semi-professional groups, there would be live concerts somewhere in Sydney every week. Though of course my point about it being not as popular as I would like means that the range of music performed could be better desired. The core repertoire appears to be mainly from late Classical to most of the Romantic, with some Baroque on the main scenes. I would prefer much more of the earlier music than performed (though we do have one professional period instrument band), but I guess demand is not apparently as great. In summary, I would not count Australia as a "first world classical music nation" using leading European cities as benchmarks, but I am realistically aware of the challenges of running professional concerts. (We even managed to lure the Vienna Philharmonic down here earlier this month in October).

The opera programmes put on by Opera Australia, taking into account the realities of running an opera company (ever since the time of _opera seria_ in the Baroque), is generally good. Programmes every year are reasonably balanced, often with a Baroque opera, Classical and the rest Romantic. But I'm thankful that there is at least one professional opera company in this country.


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## Amfibius (Jul 19, 2006)

In Melbourne (Australia's second largest city but definitely more cultured than Sydney  *) we have a thriving classical music scene. Compare our classical music record shops - there are two specialist CD retailers here - Thomas' and Discurio. Both are going strong. The last time I went to Sydney, the premier CD retailer (Fish Records) was a shadow of its former self. You can tell that a place is going downhill when the interesting recordings disappear and the shelves are filled with Naxos and "3 for $15" EMI re-releases.

In fact I just returned from Thomas' with an armful of CD's. I'm too tired now to play any of them, so I am going to take a nap and spend the rest of the evening enjoying music with a nice bottle of wine 

* I wonder if Harpsichordconcerto and Sid James are going to take that lying down!


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

No, I doubt Sid James and I would take that lying down _together_, if that's what you meant.

We used to have several classical music shops / "lounge" here in the CBD (just within the vicinity of Sydney Tower/whatever they call it now). Used to be my favourite shops. Unfortunately there are now just one or two crappy small ones dedicated to classical music. The reality of course, is that the more astute Sydney-classical-music-CD-holics have become internet shoppers. And perhaps serve the local shops right if they have pathetically failed to keep up with the times. I can buy all CDs more efficiently now at the click of a button and literally at a fraction of the local price; gone are those days of paying $30 for a full price disc. With the Aussie $ as strong as ever, you got to be a bit of a dedicated shops-goer now to want to pay double the price. Naxos might well still be $10 to $15 a disc here, but I've been paying between $7 to $8 brand new Naxos shipped to my desk. Best of all, premium price at no more than about $15 (half of the ridiculous $30 that the shops still charge, no wonder most are out of business), or at rare occasions, maybe $20. And thanks to the internet shops, my collection has actually exploded in numbers. So, while the local shops are largely dead, I think the change has been for the better and I am certainly better off by importing these myself.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Talking of Australia, classical music isn't as popular as other types of music for the general population, but as you climb the age demographic it becomes more and more popular. Eg. a lot of people aged 50 and up here are into classical music to some extent, small or large or in-between. In terms of the younger demographic, most of them are absorbed in popular music.

There is a lot of variety here but I often wonder how long can it be sustained with so few people below 40 or 50 going to concerts, or at least regularly. This is an issue that many ensembles are now addressing, eg. kids under a certain age with parents can come to the concert for free, or discounted, or discounts for those under 30 or 40. We basically have to get more people of younger generation into classical if we want it to survive.

As for Melbourne vs. Sydney, I won't wade into that. I have been down in Melbourne but I don't go there for the music, just for a change of scene. I like the difference between the two cities, they are both great. I don't know about music but their big art galleries do beat ours hands down. & I am not a "snob" or "elitist" (although I hate those catch-all terms), I am one of those idiots/great unwashed who buys Naxos and EMI, as well as budget/reissue labels of Harmonia Mundi, DGG, Decca Eloquence, etc. I do have some rarer out of print things, either bought new (being liquidated) or second hand, but I'm not obsessed what recording I get of anything. Anyway this is off topic, but you'll find most of classical listeners are idiots like myself in that regard. My father saw some of the great pianists of yesteryear in his youth in Europe & even he wasn't as fussy as some people on these forums. I'm more like that generation, I'm more interested in the music, not the exclusivity of the recording label or cr*p like that. That's what my parents taught me. But that's another story...


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## Jeremy Marchant (Mar 11, 2010)

The British are a race of philistines of whom the best thay can be said, as Sir Thomas Beecham did, that they may not know anything about music, but they like the sound it makes.


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## LordBlackudder (Nov 13, 2010)

Classic FM seems to be very popular here, it is a major radio station. Than you have the Proms.

I think there is a huge interest but it isn't represented very well. This could be down to the snobs as they dislike anything modern or popular so they lower possible interest in the music.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Everyone in Canada loves Classical Music. We also have flying cars.


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