Steve Sshwartz continues his response to my condemnation of music written
in an "old" style:

>Same with Chavez's Piano Sonata No. 6, which sounds like the Haydn piano
>sonatas.  If nobody told you, you'd probably think Haydn composed it.
>There's no attempt to change one's personal style (and Chavez definitely
>had one), as with (say) Stravinsky and Pergolesi, but to assume the style
>of someone else.

The question for me is:  could I pick the Chavez out of a lineup? Is there
enough Chavezness, so that if three authentic Haydn sonatas and the Chavez
were played in some random order a knowledgeable listener (me, for example)
could pick out the Chavez? If yes, then Chavez has effectively evoked the
Haydn style in order to comment on it.  If no, then Chavez was having some
fun.  I am betting on yes.  It is clear that if Chavez had made a career
out of writing Haydnesque sonatas and nothing else.he probably would have
toiled in well deserved obscurity.

Bernard Chasan