apocalyptic (adj.)
uh pah kuh LIP tik
portending widespread ruin or ultimate doom
In the sensitive world of classical music a lot of people are convinced that the sky is falling. Newspaper articles describe the classical-music business in apocalyptic terms. Sales of classical CDs have slowed, strikes have closed down orchestras in Philadelphia, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Portland for weeks and months, and the number of music critics has declined (is this bad?). Legendary music managers, those gnomes of 57th Street, have shut their offices, and the public still hates modern music. It’s not clear, though, whether classical music has already collided with the iceberg or is still steaming toward a fatal encounter.
David Schiff August 1997
