Don kindly responds to my concerns:

>Even in my musical studies and training as a youngster, I learned that
>every master' of musical composition >was unique and that a performer's
>highest artistic level was to reach the core of the composer's soundworld.

Here is where I give pause.  Do you understand his soundworld? Are you
familiar with eyewitness accounts, Debussy's own words, his literary
interests, (Debussy liked Poe--quite a maudlin, sweat-on-red-velvet kinda
guy to be hanging around with your anti-sybaritic Debussy!) Eyewitnesses
speak of Debussy playing the piano as if it had no hammers.  Musicologists
tell us that Estampes is a turning point in Debussy's style because of its
emphasis on *sonority* over form.  Can you reconcile this trivial evidence
with your following observation:

>Tabe neglects the modern rhythmic patterns and surprises in Debussy's
>music while prioritizing over-rich sonorities and emotional gushing.

Anyway, moving on here:

>When the performer gives top priority to the romantic angle and slights
>the innovation of Debussy's music, I will always register my lack of
>approval.

Ironically, your concern about "romantic distortion," whatever that is,
is much more detrimental to form and architecture than it is to sonority.
I also think Tabe over-pedals, but your connecting her indulgences with
some sort of a larger "romantic agenda" makes me giggle.

HC Schonberg, in his book, "The Great Pianists," goes to great lengths to
debunk what you consider the romantic style--syrupy, over-indulgent, fuzzy
playing--as mostly a myth.  To be sure, players turned out "individual"
performances, but overall they paid more attention to the score than we
give them credit for.  It's fascinating reading.

(And I know you don't particularly care for the romantic era, but
please--for every redundant arpeggio in the romantic era, there's an
endless "glo ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho" x10 to the fifth power
in the baroque.)

>I knew when I posted the Tabe/Debussy review that I was going against the
>tide.  Most folks favor romantic-era music; just a few decades ago,....

I really don't think there's an ocean to begin with.

John Smyth