The recent return of Philippe Quint’s Violin and his concert of gratitude to a group of cabbies is in stark contrast to the ill conceived busking session with Joshua Bell in a Washington Metro station last year. One was an audience connection, the other…Oi!….
Philippe Quint left a Strad in the back of a cab. The driver Mohammed Khalil returned it and in gratitude Phillipe gave a a free outdoor concert to a group of drivers and their guests. It was a true celebration.
The city of Newark awarded Mr. Khalil, who has driven a taxi here since 1985, a Medallion, its highest honor. Mr. Quint gave him a $100 tip when the violin was returned, but he wanted to do more, so he arranged for Tuesday’s concert in a parking-lot-turned-theater.
Mr. Khalil said something very insightful putting the value of any object in perspective:
“Everything we find is valuable to someone,” Mr. Khalil pointed out. “If you lost your pen, you would think it was valuable.”
Cabbies were dancing with smiles all round. It was spontaneous especially the reactions according to those who were there. It was free, there were no expectations and Philippe didn’t disguise himself so he wouldn’t be recognized! Some may think it was just a publicity stunt and yes his publicist was there and was quoted. For doing this though he deserves the publicity. The design of his concert was to make people feel good and to give thanks.
The now infamous Josh Bell Metro concert (not his idea to make it clear and he knew it was a stunt) was designed to trick people so that it could be “proven” that Classical music was not appreciated or understood or that people didn’t want to make time for it. From the Washington Post article:
His performance was arranged by The Washington Post as an experiment in context, perception and priorities — as well as an unblinking assessment of public taste: In a banal setting at an inconvenient time, would beauty transcend?
This next quote goes to show the arrogance of the those from the Washington Post organizing the experiment. It was as if they were hoping it would fail, the elitism is palpable:
AS METRO STATIONS GO, L’ENFANT PLAZA IS MORE PLEBEIAN THAN MOST. Even before you arrive, it gets no respect. Metro conductors never seem to get it right: “Leh-fahn.” “Layfont.” “El’phant.”
At the top of the escalators are a shoeshine stand and a busy kiosk that sells newspapers, lottery tickets and a wall full of magazines with titles such as Mammazons and Girls of Barely Legal. The skin mags move, but it’s that lottery ticket dispenser that stays the busiest, with customers queuing up for Daily 6 lotto and Powerball and the ultimate suckers’ bait, those pamphlets that sell random number combinations purporting to be “hot.” They sell briskly. There’s also a quick-check machine to slide in your lotto ticket, post-drawing, to see if you’ve won. Beneath it is a forlorn pile of crumpled slips.
On Friday, January 12, the people waiting in the lottery line looking for a long shot would get a lucky break — a free, close-up ticket to a concert by one of the world’s most famous musicians — but only if they were of a mind to take note.
What was the quantifiable measure they used? Not very many stopped to listen! Huh?
They disguised him with casual clothing and a baseball cap (“incognito” was the way they described it). He put out his Violin case meaning that payment was expected. Those who weren’t carrying cash (and many people don’t) might not have stopped because they had nothing to put in, which is considerate actually. It was destined to be a bust though because people were on their way to work for crying out loud! So, if a doctor at the top of the escalator gets a page to come to the hospital immediately he’s supposed to ignore that if Josh Bell is playing….I’m sorry about your husband ma’am and I might have been able to save him but you’re not going to believe who I stopped to listen to at the station on the way here…..What, other people’s jobs are not important enough for to be on time for? Forgive me but are they suggesting the work ethic of those in “other” jobs are not important if Josh bell is playing, so it’s OK for them to be late? Also the article criticized a guy (and everyone who does this) listening to his ipod expecting him to take out his headphones to stop and listen to the Violin. Hands up if you don’t have an ipod or mp3 player you listen to? Let’s put it into a somewhat hypothetical and “musical” perspective ….
The National Symphony Timpanist is on his way to the the dress rehearsal for the Beethoven Violin Concerto and the soloist is Joshua Bell. The trains are running behind so he or she is only just going to make it to play those opening solo notes when he notices at the top of the escalator of the station that Yo Yo Ma is sitting there playing Bach. He or she decides to stop and listen and so is 5 minutes late with the whole orchestra sitting there waiting. Now I’m sure that would be fine and understood right???? Or if if on time for the rehearsal it means he or she doesn’t like Classical Music? That’s what the Post would like for us to believe.
Now the article won a Pulitzer! It should also however be nominated for a Darwin Award for its attempt to make Classical Music completely irrelevant and extinct. In penance the Post should hand out free Joshua Bell Cd’s at the same station with a note attached saying please listen to this if you want to and when you have time, sorry for trying to make you look stupid.
Philippe Quint wont win a Pulitzer but with his gesture he sure earned respect, new friends and maybe even new listeners to Classical Music. That makes what he did not a stunt but a triumph!
Hmmm–I never did leave a Steinway ‘D’ in the back of a cab!
Here, here, Ron. Not to mention the fact that for most non-initiates, it’s the music (i.e., the composition itself), and not the quality of the playing, that wins one’s ear in favor of classical music. Unlike the genres of pop or jazz, classical music is the art of a COMPLETE work and its performance is judged by its illumination of the complete form: for instance, even a musician’s ear might not be drawn to Rudolf Serkin’s playing after hearing an isolated measure out of its gloriously architectural context. Therefore, by definition, the “result” of Josh’s experience is in no way a reflection of the public’s understanding of classical music, but is in fact an obfuscation of the purpose of the art form.
You can see part of the Newark Concert on Youtube. Everyone seemed to have a great time. What a nice gesture on all sides. And Philippe looks like one amazing player.
Thanks for a great article!