> If the orchestra is just about the music, why not listen to a recording instead? The social experience. The experience of going someplace special, outside th

> If the orchestra is just about the music, why not listen to a recording instead? The social experience. The experience of going someplace special, outside the normal orbit of your life, and being That Person for a while. That Person being your mental image of the kind of person who goes to a concert played by a live orchestra in a concert hall. Maybe, on the other hand, it's a warm and homey return to a younger time, when your grandfather took you to that one performance of Mahler which you will never, ever forget. Lots of reasons, really. > The people performing the music are just as much a part of the performance as the music itself. But is it vital that they be white? Or Jewish? Or perceptibly taller than average even when sitting down?