12 Extremely Disappointing Facts About Popular Mus

"The are just over 300 million people in this country and (last I looked) +/- 30 classical radio stations (not one of which is economically self-sufficient). As a statistical matter, virtually no one cares about Mozart."

Interesting, when I think of classical music I don't even think of this country. Europe is the birth place and center. Read!! Classical music is not a niche market in Europe. It is alive and well.

Some places in Europe maybe.when I first lived in Berlin in the early 60's I would guess that Classical had perhaps 20% of the market,it still is the best place in the world
for the classical lover but if classical has 10% of the market I'd be surprised. Sex,drugs and rock and roll uber alles!
The best classical audiences in the world currently(excepting Japan) are in some of the former Soviet countries notably Hungary.Poland,Latvia and Estonia.
I was at a performance of Tosca at the Budapest Operahouse
3 yrs ago( SRO) where probaly over half of the crowd seemed to be under 30,which astonished me.
As any serious student of American History knows, the most powerful currents that run throughout it are racism and anti-intellectualism.which gives us the disdain for "egghead" pursuits that is largely missing in Europe wherever ones taste resides.

I once heard an American in France make the quintessical
american unaswerable putdown "if you are so smart why aren't you rich"(in perfect French),the half dozen French students at the table has no idea what that meant.
To them it was a totally meaningless concept.

I would not tie the importance, influence and above all the staying power of classical music to market share. The best of any art, engineering or any other endeavor is most often just enjoyed by the few. it would seem to me, looking from afar that the UK has a very robust classical music enviroment. The many orchestras and the Proms etc.... they seem to promote and nuture their young artist.

"French students at the table has no idea what that meant."

which tells you all you need to know about that ridiculous country.

"Classical music is not a niche market in Europe. It is alive and well."

My sister just spent a week in Vienna and when I asked she told me she had no prayer of going to the opera there due to demand and ticket costs.