Sat front row at the symphony...

**** Your analogy of pointillistic artists actually makes my case, haha. ****

Not at all. Well, not in my world and that of just about every musician I know. Detail that by your own admission “does not make much sense” is meaningless and irrelevant as concerns what matters most, the music.

We are further apart than I even thought. While we are both musicians we live in different music worlds, in every sense of the term. No point (pun intended 😊) in addressing all that you just wrote, but I will address only one more of your comments and one which I think explains a lot:

**** Your job as a pro is to please most of your paying customers, the audience, who mostly sit far away. ****

Wrong! When playing in an orchestra, my job as a musician is to honor the music; IOW, “please” the composer by way of the conductor’s direction (sorry, audience).

Anyway, while I don’t have a problem with your wish to be “right” about this it’s probably best to end this dialogue as it is feeling like a competition of sorts. Your “haha” seems very telling.

I have enjoyed our dialogue, but prefer to move on. Regards.

We like to go to our local music conservatory for recitals and performances. Always a thousand times better than the best recordings on my pretty damn good system. I especially like string quartets. The way they communicate with their glances during specific dramatic passages makes the music and their players even more captivating. The best part is that it's almost always free and you support future musicians. 

Good for you! The level of musicianship possessed by today’s conservatory (college) age musicians is fantastic. Gets better with each generation due to better and better training. Attending performances at local conservatories is one of the sleeper sources of good live music. Of course, not on the same level as the great artists, but definitely worthwhile. Moreover, budding artists need to perform in front of live audiences, so it is a big help to them.