Boring?

There is an interesting exchange at http://music.guardian.co.uk/classical/story/0,,2289751,00.html#article_continue
rehearsing the age-old classical vs. contemporary argument. The original article is mainly a bit of sour grapes from a guy by the name of Joe Queenan, but he has a few valid points. For example, I agree that you are on a hiding to nothing if you try to include contemporary works on a program of classical works. You run the risk of alienating both audiences. Queenan is right in saying that most concert audiences are profoundly conservative, but Tom Service, in reply, argues that even the most hard-edged contemporary music has a dedicated and growing audience.
You can't please all the people all the time. Last year at the Totally Huge Festival, there was a concert featuring works by John Adams and a new trumpet concerto by Western Australian composer James Ledger. In the fine print at the bottom of the catalogue entry were the words "Also on the program are Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No.2 and Janacek’s Sinfonietta". Exactly the same concert was advertised on ABC radio as being headlined by the Beethoven and Janacek, and the radio ads did not even mention the contemporary works. It was not until I looked back at the catalogue that I even realised it was the same concert. I went along and enjoyed the John Adams and the trumpet conerto, but did not stay for the Beethoven and Janacek. I wondered whether people who came for the Beethoven and Janacek were pissed off about having to sit through the contemporary part of the program first.
There's not much more I would say on this topic that has not been canvassed on the Guardian link above. Have a look for yourself.