> But classical music can be other things, too: transcendental, lush, heartbreakingly emotional. The thing that makes so-called classical music stand out in a

> But classical music can be other things, too: transcendental, lush, heartbreakingly emotional. The thing that makes so-called classical music stand out in a crowd is the long duration over which musical ideas may be worked out. Even in the 1700s we're talking multiple hours for something like Don Pedro's/Commandatore's themes over the course of Mozart's Don Giovanni. And the assumption behind a CD being able to hold Beethoven's 9th in its entirety is that a modern audience is able and willing to concentrate on the relationship among related musical ideas over the course of 70 minutes. But "transcendental, lush, and heartbreakingly emotional" can only be marketed atop those long forms if listeners have sufficient leisure time, money, and attention to devote to it. The modern world doesn't give, say, the average American much leisure time nor money. And most HN devs here seem busy writing apps that capture any attention left in the cracks. That means classical music must compete as one of many sources of "transcendental, lush, and heartbreakingly emotional" experiences. In that light its time requirements make it a detriment. So it's no surprise that a skilled violinist is struggling just to pay off the debt it took to be able to proficiently perform large-scale classical works.