Stumble ThisWill one of the nation's greatest musicians be noticed in a D.C. Metro stop during rush hour? Violinist Joshua Bell experimented for Gene Weingarten's Sunday Magazine story in The Washington Post.
Original story
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html
and follow up
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/04/06/DI2007040601228.html
Original story
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html
and follow up
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/04/06/DI2007040601228.html
http://www.videosift.com/video/Heifetz-Plays-Bachs-Chaconne-Part-1
http://www.videosift.com/video/Heifetz-Plays-Bachs-Chaconne-Part-2
Well, that gets a big, giant, "WTF?"
I wouldn't normally go out of my way to see an orchestra or any live classical music, but there is something insanely moving and beautiful about a string trio or quartet playing amidst the bustle of morning rush-hour. It's jarring, and I personally can't help but stop and listen. Though I have yet to see a solo violin who wasn't playing a jig.
And everyone has their preferences to musical instruments. I myself don't particularly care for the harpsichord that much. But I don't know if I'd say any instrument generates a "vile" sound . . .
1. Many people are not assertive enough to stop and watch a musician, especially if they are the only one doing so
2. Many won't stop because they don't want to be expected to pay a donation
3. They have places to go or they wouldn't be there in the first place
4. Many look at street performers as street people, which they'd rather avoid altogether, perhaps because they might be coughed on or have to face reality a bit
Basically, although a certain percentage actually would like to stop, they don't out of shyness, embarrassment, time demands, etc. I stop for such things whenever I see it (I'm usually not in a rush, and believe that life is about smelling the roses), but then again I am a musician so I'm biased.
Also, this can happen anywhere, not just at a subway. At the same time, if you put him in the middle of an area he will be appreciated, by interested people, oh you'd better believe he'll be noticed.
Anyway, he gets simply brilliant sound out of it for sure. I'm not familiar enough though - are these originals? I love the harmonized parts especially. Thanks for the name, I'll look around. Great post!
Edit: nevermind, the article gives the needed info.
Perhaps those responsible for the day to day running of this country should pause and contemplate what a government really should be for. Do we want to simply maintain the status quo - the jackbooted downtrodding of art, beauty, and the individual in the name of corporate profits? Or do we want to raise up creative works and real expressive freedom as the mantle of our humanity?
The human race stands upon a cusp - down one path is enlightenment, freedom, and a future brighter than the stars. Down the other is a new dark age from which we may never rise again.
I agree with the picasso on the on ramp idea. Try this again in a park or beside a Starbucks, he'd be mobbed like a rock star...
This is one of those setups where I suspect the director is *hoping* for general ignorance but tough for him, he still doesn't get it and there are people clearly listening by the end (even in a congested area where there isn't an obvious place to congregrate and listen - maybe next to that pillar).
I'm sorry people weren't genuflecting en masse but let's face facts, people have lives and might not have time built into their journeys to take in some live music.
and perk you a douchebag
Deano - it's not so much a "director" as reporters from the newspaper - I urge EVERYONE to read the article before jumping to conclusions in their comments.
tbone8ty - please don't degenerate comments into a youtube level - ad hominem attacks are not cool. choggie said it even better than I could, really.
Moving back to the article (I read it and watched the original videos before they got YT'd), it was a REALLY good read and they were really honest - they didn't expect much at all - they're realists. Still, they were a bit shocked by the results - anyway, read what they said, I can't write a summary to do it justice! (But then again, I just biked 75km this morning, so I'm a bit tired).
He's also quite rude in his replies to comments that question the usefulness of this "experiment".
As a piece of writing I wasn't impressed either. It was worringly sanctimonious about the whole thing and he was particularly excited about people who had cried after reading the article. What an arse.
Some people do believe great art has a certain 'sanctity', or at least attribute it a very high level of respect - much more than say getting to work on a time. These people, myself included, can't under why so many others would rush right past the great things in life just to get to the trivial, ugly things.
As for the 'weak stunt' thing, I liked how the writer did begin the piece as a cheap stunt but ended up with something much more profound than she expected.
Not his best piece, but I enjoyed the article. For better or worse, art is context. It may be 70 years too late for a Duchampian stunt like this one, but it hammers home (though ruefully) the point that the "art of Joshua Bell" is part artistic brilliance, part clever packaging, and part hype.
Sounds like YouTube is your bag given your willingness to start trolling. Gene's not averse to dolling out the insults and curt replies so I'm sure he/she can cope with being called an arse.
Going back to the clip there are a million and one reasons why people might not stop and they don't mean the end of Western civilisation. And getting to work on time might help one cobble together the money to see the likes of Joshua Bell.
The problem is certain people are willing to see the worst in this when the reality is just far more mundane. Indeed Weingarten mentions it as well - context. We don't expect to see things out of context - and certainly not world-class violin playing in some dingy metro. As another commenter on the article suggested, there are ALOT of other factors in this situation that are competing for people's attention. This isn't about beauty and art being unappreciated - for me it's an experiment that tells us about psychology, group behaviour and the fact that life is tough for buskers.
Finally as much as I love classical music and opera, I do accept that not everyone else does. Let's not forget that before we start admonishing others.
[edit] It's worth noting that the article's publication was held over til two days before Bell was up for an award - as requested by his publicist.
that is why this VIDEO of people walking past an insanely talented musician playing an insanely expensive instrument is actually better art than the performance itself.
People think art is judged like other school subjects, you know, graded A to F, marks out of ten, marks for effort, extra praise if it took you a really long time etc etc blah blah. But that's not art.
This guy might get high praise in a musicians' context, but in this context he gets a few dollars and a couple of people standing around listening.
If he did this regularly, he would become known as "violin guy" and people would stop. But, because what he did was so ridiculously out of context, people just don't get it. They are not walking past thinking "i wonder if this guy is playing good or bad?" they are thinking "must. get. to. work."
The brain filters stuff out. If you are looking for a violinist and you find this guy, you will stop and watch. If you are trying to get to work you won't notice this guy any more than you notice the escalator.
To all those who think this shows that culture is ignored... shuddap. This just shows how the brain works, it has the power to filter out even the most stirring musical performance IF there are more important things to do, like get to work.
Ask all the people who walked past this question: "Would you rather rush to work or watch this guy play violin for 10 minutes" and you would get a different impression of "culture".
CONTEXT. there are no absolutes.
will say that irish music (fiddle etc) is a fair bit better, the shorter notes in the jigs dont jar my ears as much.
but meh, all personal opinion i guess.
Perk, too, for his/her pretentious socialist end-of-days wankery, and the word "testamate"; but, really, as tiresome as the raving "EVIL CORPORATIONZ CONTROL THE WEATHER AND GOVERNMENT" rigamarole is, Sirex just checked in to $hit on centuries of high culture for no apparent reason. That was hella uncalled for, homeboy!
You guys are champs! At first I was irritated by you, partly for your abrasiveness and partly for anxiety that my depraved, bureaucrat-ridden homeland was indeed about to be cast back into the dark ages by the sheer force of Perk's pomposity.
But, there is something calming in this vile sound. Even if this damn'ed, bloated American Empire sinks into the sea, or if it doesn't and Sirex remains alive to throw stones at musicians, I'll always have recourse to something that invariably permits me to forget all of you a$$holes.
for what it's worth i'd be suprised if all the hard surfaces in the subway didnt go some way to making the sound even harsher in there though.
and not everyone is american.
What do you mean not everyone is an American? What're we speakin Mexican here? Don't talk to me in American if you're not an American, kraut. Invade your A$$, keep that up.
Not german either, english.
anyhow, enough of this bickering, off to find a bagpipe sift.
It's a FOUR million dollar violin.