For whatever reason, classical music is a bit like a foreign language to people who have not grown up with it, and it takes time to adjust to that language, to learn the syntax and the vocabulary – and then to be able respond to the music emotionally. If you don’t have the basis of understanding the language, you won’t hear the emotional message.

Our tastes change as we get older. This is nothing to be alarmed about. Younger people are intimidated by the ritual of silence surrounding the performance – which is a fairly new development, let’s face it! Performers used to try to get applause between the movements. To have a movement encored was considered a mark of success for composers right up to Brahms. If someone applauds between movements today you hear stuffy members of the audience trying to shush them. I always think, what’s wrong with you? Crushing someone’s emotional expression! Isn’t that spontaneous response why we’re here?

So there has got to be a little bit of learning on all sides. But it’s not rocket science to figure out how to break down some of those barriers. A lot of orchestras are doing this fairly successfully now.

It’s easier to make these changes in America. To have them appreciated might be a little easier in Europe! We are doing such things in Germany, and do encounter resistance – we even get orchestra members who adhere to the more conservative model, who grew up with a strict musical education. In America I see a lot of orchestras doing very edgy, experimental things. How much of a beneficial effect it has on their audience related to the cost of doing these things is open to question!

One has to have business sense and common sense in knowing how to proceed. You can quickly make yourself a caricature.