Originally posted by Kreisler:
And why do you think everyone wants to play Rach 3? It's easy to understand musically - or at least much more so than the Brahms concerti (which nobody seems to ask about.) This is why everyone asks to play it. [/b]

The meanings of words can change and I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years(due to it's overwhelming usage by young people) the word "song" will be an acceptable(according to the dictionary definition) synonym for what you and I would call "piece".

There is little enough interest in classical music already and I think this constant need on some people's part to correct those who use the word "song" just turns more people off to classical music.

Originally posted by Bernard:
pianoloverus,

I doubt it! Not as long as there are caring people around to point out the inaccuracy of using the word 'song' for a piece that is not a 'song'.


You are factually wrong on the first point, interest in classical music is not down. And IMO you are also wrong on the second point. I think anyone interested in classical music is going to be eager to learn the correct lingo and will be thankful that someone had the consideration to further their learning.

[/b]

(1) Since the way people use a word can easily determine it's accepted(dictionary) meaning (and most young people today use 'song' for what you call 'piece'), it's seems likely that "song' and 'piece' will soon be interchangable.

(2)I'm not at all sure that most people who correct other people's use of the word 'song' do it because they are "caring". I think they are sometimes annoyed(as I was in the beginning) because it sounds so wrong or silly to their ears.

(3)I did not say interest in classical music is down(although it probably is), I said there is "little enough interest in classical music" which is definitely true. I don't have the exact figure, but I've read numerous time that around 10%(I think the figure is actually less) of the population listens to classical music on any sort of a regular basis. The audiences at the concerts I regularly attend is getting older and older(with the exceptions of the younger Asians). And to the best of my knowledge, sales of classical recordings are down(although I'm not postitive of this one).

Originally posted by Bernard:
pianoloverus,
(1) I don't recall society ever giving the young a right to redefine words--it's not so simple as that. Your students could just as well decide that an ellipse is close enough to a circle and start calling it that!

(2) It sounds wrong to my ears because it is wrong. True, we sometimes react stronger, but all in all, speaking for myself, I correct this usage because 1) I care very much for music and 2) I care that young (and older) people learn the proper terminology that goes with learning the art.

(3) Question is, has the percentage of people who listen to classical music ever been much greater than it is now? I don't know the answer, but I don't think so. I do not think low attendance at concerts is a reflection of people's interest in classical music. I think it is more probably a reflection of the hideous cost of a ticket. As big a music lover as I am, I do not go to the NY Philharmonic very often. It is prohibitively expensive... another issue, another topic for another thread. [/b]