Pablo Massa replies to me:

>>Well, to check out how well Tovey understood other composers, check out
>>his writings on Brahms, Beethoven, Wagner, Bruckner, Schumann, Schubert,
>>Mozart, Haydn, etc., as well as his articles in Grove.
>
>Oh, Tovey was a fine critic, indeed.  Let me quote what Chris Bonds says
>about this:
>
>>the difference is I think that while Tovey composed, he did not see
>>himself as being in competition to the composers whose works he discussed
>>in his notes and essays.
>
>Actually, very few people could see him as being in such competition...

I might if I knew more than three pieces.  The problem is that too much of
Tovey's output is simply not available.  What I've heard struck me as quite
fine.  Furthermore, does he have to be as good as (fill in the blank of
your favorite "great") in order to understand the music?

Steve Schwartz