Steve Schwartz presents a really interesting list of themes from symphonies
evidently considered significant in the early part of the century and
then states:

>Just another example of the fluidity of judgments on lasting worth.

Given the fact that most of the contentious inclusions and exclusions
concerned works that had been written during the preceding half century
or so, another conclusion seems equally appropriate: considered judgment
on the worth of aesthetic works, for a variety of reasons, takes time.
For example, one attribute of greatness--universality of appeal--is very
difficult to assess over a short time-span, since what turns out to be
of rather parochial attractiveness may nevertheless during the time-span
in question be of quite wide-spread appeal.  I know that the relativity
of aesthetic judgments is one of Steve's favorite themes, and I do find
the phenomenon that he is calling attention to quite interesting.  I
note only that his example can be looked at so as to cut both ways,
judging by (a) the large number of "usual suspects," and (b) the fact
that the controversial exclusions and inclusions can be explained without
appealing to the relativism of taste.  The latter is one explanation,
but only one, and I'm guessing that even Steve offered the example as
merely suggestive, not conclusive.

Nick