Missouri Classical Music News

That said, I was stunned when reading an article on the Andante.com Web site (yes, I do know how to use the Internet). It reported on the success of an offer last summer by London's BBC Radio 3, allowing listeners to visit the station online and download, for free, all nine Beethoven symphonies.

A staggering 1.37 million responded.

According to the Andante article, the BBC believed it tapped into two markets: classical buffs who overcame their fear of digital technology, and young folks who overcame their fear of classical music. The station is planning a similar promotion with the complete works of Bach just before Christmas.