Rumors Greatly Exaggerated.(popularity of classical music)

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732- 1809) was one of the fortunate masters who lived long enough to be universally appreciated by the audiences of his day. Yet in 1805, while he was living comfortably in Vienna, a rumor spread throughout Europe that Haydn had died. Many composers wrote memorial pieces in his honor, and in Paris a special concert was arranged that included Mozart's Requiem. When Haydn received news of his demise, he sent a letter thanking the musicians for their well- meant gestures. His good humor was evident: "Had I only known of it in time, I could have traveled to Paris to conduct the Requiem myself!"

Similar rumors abound today about the future, or lack of future, of classical music itself. Such naysayers, of course, are not new to us. The picture of a bearded prophet comes to mind, walking the city streets with a placard declaring, "The End Is Near!" Yet strangely enough, the self-proclaimed prophets who are loudly announcing the imminent demise of classical music are often taken quite seriously by younger musicians -- who perhaps fear for their own future.

But these Chicken Littles ought to know better, for the facts are very easy to find. According to the American Symphony Orchestra League (the premier watchdog organization of the classical scene), ticket sales are not falling, but rising rapidly. And here are a few other revealing facts:

-- Thirty-two million concert seats were filled in the 2000-01 season, topping 30 million for the sixth year in a row, and this is up 16 percent over ten years ago.

-- In the same season, America's 1,200 orchestras gave 36,437 concerts. This is 10 percent more than the previous year, 23 percent more than five years ago, and 45 percent more than ten years ago. And this does not even include the many performances given by international orchestras touring in the United States.

-- The orchestras earned a record $775 million -- 5.5 percent higher than the previous year, 37 percent higher than five years ago, and 70 percent higher than ten years ago.

-- Concert-ticket income totaled $504 million, up 4.6 percent from the previous year. (And we shouldn't forget about other classical avenues, such as opera, solo recitals, and chamber music.)