The Independent‘s classical music critic, Jessica Duchen, has written a fascinating article around the move by Alex Beard from the Tate Modern to the Royal Opera House. She suggests that, instead of dreading a comparison to museums, perhaps classical music can learn from their successes.
Duchen writes:
There’s a cliché that “music mustn’t be a museum culture”. Its implication is well-meaning: classical music should feel alive, recreated anew every time it is performed, not set reverentially on a shelf to collect dust. But you can’t help wondering if anyone who uses this expression has actually been to Tate Modern, which Beard co-created with Nicholas Serota, or indeed any museum recently. Museums are doing rather well. In terms of tempting people in, providing a rewarding visit and, above all, making the arts they display an integral part of cultural consciousness, they’re altogether in better shape than many classical music organisations.
It’s well worth reading the whole article here.
John Terauds