This is a longish article from The Washington Post by Gene Weingarten, but do yourself a favor and at least skim it. The Post conducted an experiment “in context, perception and priorities — as well as an unblinking assessment of public taste: In a banal setting at an inconvenient time, would beauty transcend?”
If a world reknown violinist set himself up in the metro during rush hour in D.C. and began playing, how many people would you guess would stop and listen? How much money would he make?
This musician plays concert halls for standing room only where “pretty good” seats go for $100. He wasn’t playing popular tunes. “These were masterpieces that have endured for centuries on their brilliance alone, soaring music befitting the grandeur of cathedrals and concert halls.” Amazing.
