On Monday (6/17) in the classical music and arts magazine Limelight (Great Britain), Henry Norman writes, “If you haven’t already heard the story, [pianist Krystian ] Zimerman marched off stage at a recital given at the Ruhr Piano Festival in Essen after discovering an audience member was recording his performance. He left only to return and lambast the destruction of music by YouTube. When it comes to my classical music viewing habits, however, YouTube is the primary medium through which I access the genre. This, I believe, is not an uncommon state of affairs, representing reality amongst many of my fellow 20-something student colleagues. If we are honest, most young people will not take time to go to the opera or see a recital, instead responding well to things that are accessible, cheap and entertaining. Zimerman’s protestation, therefore, that YouTube is leading to the destruction of music struck me as odd. An artist much more familiar to me than Zimerman is Valentina Lisitsa, the so-called ‘Justin Bieber of Classical Piano,’ which suggests to me that YouTube is anything but a destructive force.… Far from destroying classical music, YouTube has given me the unparalleled freedom to discover new music without having to break the bank.”
Posted June 21, 2013
