“Later this month, Paris will become the latest in a string of international cities to pipe classical music into its train stations in an effort to chase off vagrants and youthful toughs who loaf about and ostensibly make life unpleasant for rail travelers,” in the Paris suburbs of Sartrouville, Mureau, and St. Cloud, writes Brian Wise at the WQXR website. “But there’s a notable difference between the Parisian rollout and similar, well-documented efforts in North America and elsewhere… The French rail network has introduced an online poll inviting travelers on the A, J and L lines to ‘choose the background music in your station.’ The musical choices include chestnuts like Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, but also more esoteric corners of the Baroque repertoire: Lully overtures, Scarlatti sonatas and Marin Marais’s solo flute piece, Les folies d’Espagne. The three pieces with the most votes will be played. The rail agency is presenting the piped-in music as an effort to spread art and culture rather than an Orwellian attempt at ‘acoustic insecticide.’ … Commuters can vote through June 7.”
Posted June 5, 2013
