Home  Hi-Fi Audio Reviews  Audiophile Shows Partner Mags  News       

 

Enjoy the Music.com

June 2021

 

Classical Music Has Waned
Plus we wait for shows to re-start.
Editorial By Alan Sircom

 

Hi-Fi+ Issue June 2021

 

  In recent years, an appreciation for classical music has waned in the general public. The classical charts are dominated by 'Mellow Moods' compilations and movie soundtracks. While there's nothing wrong with a well-turned score and we all need to 'chillax' from time to time, the classical canon is far, far broader and richer than that. Regardless, year after year, the best-selling classical recordings often have sales that barely top a few thousand worldwide today, and in our own cloistered little branch of music enjoyment, classical music replay is at an all-time low.

With the recent postponing of Munich due to continuing problems with COVID-19, it looks doubtful that there will be a large-scale, international audio show in Europe this year. But, back when such audio shows were still a thing, it was fast becoming clear that – with a few notable exceptions – playing anything classical was best used to clear a room rather than showcase what equipment can do. Some of that comes down to changes in taste and an age-related shift away from classical music in general (if you go to a classical concert, you will often struggle to find anyone under 60 in the audience), but we would hate to see enthusiasm for classical music get sidelined as an 'OK Boomer' thing.

 

Hi-Fi+ Issue June 2021

 

A part of the problem, I believe, is a lack of education in classical music. No, that doesn't mean everyone who listens to music should be able to play an instrument or know what a key signature looks like, but a basic appreciation of music in general and classical music in particular is wholly beneficial. However, in a little over a generation, we've gone from "Wouldn't you just die without Mahler?" to "What's a Mahler?"

While we wait for audio shows to re-start, now is a perfect time to reevaluate classical music, not as some dry and dusty academic exercise, but as a vibrant part of the whole audio and musical experience. The breadth and scope of the classical canon allows for a lot of exploration; while not everyone is going to appreciate the cool, mathematical approach taken by Bach, that of the cerebral Beethoven or the out-and-out weirdness of someone like Messiaen, but somewhere within that classical canon might lie the next decade or more of musical enjoyment. Try it!

Our congratulations go out to Peter Bosman of Amersfoort in The Netherlands and David Gooding from Devon in the UK, both of whom win a set of Kuzma's excellent Damper Feet, worth £600 per set. Enjoy!

 

 


Alan Sircom, Editor Hi-Fi+

 

 

 

 


Subscribe To Hi-Fi+ Magazine
Click here to subscribe to hi-fi+ magazine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     
 

Quick Links


Premium Audio Review Magazine
High-End Audiophile Equipment Reviews

 

Equipment Review Archives
Turntables, Cartridges, Etc
Digital Source
Do It Yourself (DIY)
Preamplifiers
Amplifiers
Cables, Wires, Etc
Loudspeakers/ Monitors
Headphones, IEMs, Tweaks, Etc
Superior Audio Gear Reviews

 

 


Show Reports
HIGH END Munich 2024
AXPONA 2024 Show Report
Montreal Audiofest 2024 Report

Southwest Audio Fest 2024
Florida Intl. Audio Expo 2024
Capital Audiofest 2023 Report
Toronto Audiofest 2023 Report
UK Audio Show 2023 Report
Pacific Audio Fest 2023 Report
T.H.E. Show 2023 Report
Australian Hi-Fi Show 2023 Report
...More Show Reports

 

Videos
Our Featured Videos

 


Industry & Music News

High-Performance Audio & Music News

 

Partner Print Magazines
audioXpress
Australian Hi-Fi Magazine
hi-fi+ Magazine
Sound Practices
VALVE Magazine

 

For The Press & Industry
About Us
Press Releases
Official Site Graphics

 

 

 

     

Home   |   Hi-Fi Audio Reviews   |   News   |   Press Releases   |   About Us   |   Contact Us

 

All contents copyright©  1995 - 2024  Enjoy the Music.com®
May not be copied or reproduced without permission.  All rights reserved.