Who Will Stand the Test of Time?

Schubert, the individuals of whom I speak are anything but "stupid". They are brilliant thinkers and successful musicians who understand the impact that recorded sound had on what in the past had been, for the masses, a common pastime: learning to play a musical instrument, performing for each other at family and friendly gatherings, as well as having much more knowledge about music in general than the average person today.

Anyway, I am sorry that your admitted old age, or some other factor, has caused you to seem so bitter and negative (what you call being a "realist"), but while I usually welcome a challenge as far as discussions on this forum go (right, Rok?), my gut feeling is that I should stay away from this one. Or, is reliance on gut feelings also something that only Americans do? BTW, not being American born, I have in-depth understanding of at least two nationalities and their traits, and I assure you that it is not only Americans who indulge in wretched optimism. Try it, you might like it.

No chance, last "optomistic' German was Hegel.
The most optomistic american was the one who thought gun control was possible after the slaughter in CT.Or perhaps the one who thought his order of the same Bushmaster model used would be less than the 3 year wait quoted him as he paid double price upfront to be on the waiting list.

I'm with Brownsfan, Frogman, and Al. Great art will always stand the test of time, whether or not the majority of the population is even aware of it or not. Those who are aware will keep it alive. And as Al says, this will go for the best jazz and rock, too. After all, some of the oldest jazz recordings that we have are getting closer and closer to 100 years ago now....

Schubert and all,
Not sure what is going on but I have posted several times and the posts are not appearing.
A couple of points here. First of all Schubert, hearing recorded classical music makes one want to hear more of it. Not necessarily live. In my own case, I listened to classical music for decades before I started attending live concerts on a regular basis. Even now, I am faced with a choice. Sit in my living room and listen to world class performances on a really good rig-- last night was Szell and the Clevelanders in the old Masonic auditorium-- 1957 on SACD-- oh my! Or I can get dressed, drive for 30-40 minutes, park, buy my ticket, and take my chances in an auditorium with poor accoustics. I think Frogmans point is quite apt. Now, if I lived in Cleveland, Vienna, or Dresden, where one is served up world class on a regular basis, the weight swings heavy and hard towards attending and supporting with donations. Otherwise, well, it is a somewhat different calculation.

- Mahler (just makes the 20th century cut)
- Stravinsky
- Rachmaninoff
- Al Jolson
- Duke Ellington
- Louis Armstrong
- Count Basie
- John Coltrane
- Dizzy Gillespie
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Billie Holliday
- Dinah Washington
- Elvis Presley
- Muddy Waters
- Ray Charles
- Chuck Berry
- Roy Orbison
- Jim Reeves
- Johnny Cash
- Buck Owens
- The Beatles
- Led Zeppelin
- Pink Floyd
- The Moody Blues
- Yes
- Genesis
- AC/DC
- The Kinks