al Sabah:
21st Century Paul:
Mainstream=massive presence now through the mass media. Especially the one created by marketing, paying for receiving such attention. For instance, Bach or Mozart are not mainstream, they are kind of popular (not much compared to Justin Bieber or Rihanna) but they're not promoted at the mass media.
People like Bach do not need to be promoted. He is the standard by which all modern composers are compared just as Paul is the standard by which all current singers are compared. Justin Bieber needs to be promoted because most of us would have no idea who he is otherwise, and today's record companies do not consider anyone a success unless they are overexposed. If his career survives, the next generation will ask if he is still in the mainstream while his fans argue that he is the voice of their generation.
21st Century Paul:
It makes me wonder about all the beauty created out there we just don't know.
Yes, Bach doesn't need to be promoted now in 2013, but his music was pretty much ignored in his lifetime, think of all the world didn't hear and Bach just could not show but only a few. Though I'm wrong in saying Bach or Mozart are not mainstream, they surely ARE, their music appears on commercials and movies, and that's pretty much why milions know some of their "hits" or so... (that never were hits really...)
I think some of the most talented artists will never be well known
I would really like to know how many genius are we missing, if 10 % of them 50 % of them 90 %... The "ignorance" in the past for years (sometimes centuries) of HUGE, BASIC pieces (all Bach, for a start or all Shakespeare...), not just "great" or good, makes me think of we miss more than the 90 % of the best stuff. Let's Bach a little... Back to Bach "The father of music"
this one is not so popular but I've always have a thing for it Erbarme dich, mein Gott -kind of "Have mercy upon me, my God "