Joshua Bell in the Subway

In 2007, a social experiment turned phenomenal, Pulitzer Prize-winning article in the Washington Post was conducted with renowned violinist Joshua Bell playing his $3.5 million Stradivarius in a Washington DC subway station during rush hour. The idea was to see how many people would notice that this street performer was a cut above the average and pause in their daily routine to take in some or all of the concert. The article is certainly a success on a thought-provoking level - so many people like to think they would have stopped (or at least noticed), but how many would? - but it succeeds to the degree it does because it's accompanied by a recording of the entire performance. The audio is more than a simple curiosity: it's fascinating to hear Bell's wonderful performance placed in such an abrasive context (fortunately, helped by the choice of L'Enfant Plaza subway station, whose acoustics are surprisingly amenable to the project). With classical music usually confined to cough-between-movements sanctuaries of high society, the street noises here not only imbue the music with an impressive extra dose of vitality, but really show that great music is great music regardless of context - and that the yearning climactic strains of Bach's Chaconne can be, if anything, more uplifting when directly contrasted to the banality of everyday life. The performance makes the concert compelling listening; the context makes it essential. Interested parties can download the album here.

Track Listing
1) Bach: Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004 - 5. Chaconne
2) Schubert: Ellens Gesang III, D 839 - "Ave Maria"
3) Ponce: Estrellita
4) Massenet: Méditation from Thaïs
5) Bach: Partita No. 3 in E, BWV 1006 - 3. Gavotte en Rondeau
6) Bach: Chaconne (Reprise)