The previous discussion of entertainment as a world paradigm
only hinted at the origin of that paradigm. More to the point,
it dabbled in connections between music as art and
entertainment, and suggested that such a duality could be
relatively recent in origin. In some sense, this distinction is
about upper- and lower-class activity, and the simplest
historical narrative involves a flip-flop of power between the
two. In the current economic climate, the lower classes, by
virtue of number (i.e. democracy), have achieved "artistic"
control. One can construct a basic linear progression of this
type, from the utter dominance of ancient tyrants to the mass-
market politics of today. A progression of that sort can be
rather illuminating with regard to the balancing act which
established the classical style. However, such a naïve
progression makes a basic underlying assumption, namely that
popular music of earlier centuries was rather distinct from —
even contemptuous of, as it is today — elite music. In fact,
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