YouTube comments are infamously the most inane drivel found anywhere in the entire history of humanity’s written communication. In particular, I’ve always been bothered (to the extent I ever read YouTube comments) by the egotism implicit in the “discussion.”  Commenters make their primary purpose communicating to others their unique expertise in any subject, and hence their unique qualification to judge it.  With nobody caring what anyone else has written, and instead focusing only on showcasing their own knowledge, showmanship wholly replaces any semblance of commentary.

Hence, when I read about artist Steve Lambert’s project reading aloud YouTube comments, I did not expect to be impressed.

I was impressed.

While playing a video of Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, performers read aloud comments that were earlier posted in response to the same video.

The juxtaposition of this beautiful piece of music in a classic performance with the jarring inhumanity of the modern responses makes the result inexplicably enthralling.

(via Kottke)