My discontent was because I realized that I've finally had enough of the Brahms First Symphony. But I don't see my favorite painting three times a year, or re-read my favorite book three times a year. A few years ago, NPR stations were given a shortlist of 100 classical hits to program from. Exposed to the same music, the ear shuts down, and when the ear shuts down, so does a little bit of the soul. Greatness exists in time, generating new ideas and more music.
Music exists in a living continuum or it dies.
No one in the 19th century would have put up with the same two dozen masterpieces for 40 or 50 or 100 years. Nor did they have to. New music was expected. We've reached the point, it seems, where nothing is forgotten, which makes it harder for new composers to grab the public's ear. That's why I was delighted with the premiere of a new work by Chapel Hill composer Nathaniel Stookey at the opening night's gala concert.