The first thing I read in American Record Guide is "Critical Convictions"
where Don Vroon usually leads the charge toward some extreme position he
is obsessed with.  Always interesting!  In the latest issue (July/August),
he's barking about period performance practices, how dogmatic the
adovocates are, how poor the musicans are, how so few artists and
performers think well of it, and what a total waste the movement is.

It's a good read, although, as usual, Vroon misses the whole point of
period performance - enjoyment.  Since he hates the sound of period
performances, he assumes that nobody in their right mind could possibly
enjoy them.  He just sees all advocates as rigid anti-romantics who want
to ruin music for everyone else.  He even seems to feel that there's a
"resistance movement" afoot, and I wouldn't be surprised if he also feels
he's the leader of that movement.

What I like about Don Vroon is that he writes what he thinks without regard
for the responses of the readers.  That is refreshing in an era where
speaking "correctly" seems to be considered the only acceptable avenue.

Don Satz
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