Accessibility

Think about it: a score of a Chopin etude, although written for piano, can be read and played by anybody who reads music, anybody in the world no matter what language they speak, and on any musical instrument, including the harmonica.  It makes no difference that Chopin wrote the piece two hundred years ago or that he was Polish or that he was George Sand's lover or that he was Caucasian.  And when the piece is played, it doesn't matter whether the musician is tall or short, Japanese or Mexican, gay or straight, astronaut or farmer, nine years old or eighty, pauper or billionaire.

What matters is that the instrument has the available notes and that the musician has the skills to play it, and though it doesn't hurt that somebody is listening, an audience is not necessary for the piece to be played.   In fact, without an audience, the musician is free to explore the piece, even to distort it or play it backwards or elaborate or it improvise around it or play it as jazz or the blues or a polka or change its key, its modality, its cadence.

And if the musician chooses to allow an audience hear any of his variation on Chopin's intent, the universality of the etude has not changed at all.  What has changed is its accessibility.

Enjoy your Monday.
Dianne