Elsewhere, in a typically Gallic touch, the leading candidates have been answering questions about classical music. I'd say Sarkozy did himself no harm with his comments on whether it's an elitist form:
Les musiques dites « classiques » sont par définition les plus populaires puisque ce sont celles qui ont transcendé le temps, les modes, les sociétés, pour parvenir jusqu’à nous. La musique de Mozart et de Beethoven était peut-être révolutionnaire, voire élitiste du temps de leurs contemporains, mais comment prétendre qu’elle n’est pas populaire?
talking of elitism, can we have a translation ?
Posted by: a | Wednesday, April 18, 2007 at 03:26 PM
Classical music is the truly popular music rather than that brain-dead shit that the young stupid and ignorant listen to. Approximately.
Posted by: dearieme | Wednesday, April 18, 2007 at 06:00 PM
Roughly:
By definition, the music we call 'classical' is the most popular since it has transcended time, fashion, and society to reach us (our time). The music of Mozart and Beethoven was perhaps revolutionary, even elitist at the time, but how we can claim it's not popular?
Posted by: Anna | Friday, April 20, 2007 at 02:52 PM
Thanks, Anna. Sorry I never got round to doing it myself - took my eye off the ball...
Posted by: Clive D | Friday, April 20, 2007 at 05:16 PM