The wonderfully droll backwards account of Rachmaninoff's reputation over
the past century makes the article well worth reading.  I would love to
see Schiff's remarks on a few dozen more outstanding composers, though then
the Times wouldn't have have found room for his piece.  And if we look for
who'd included or left out we're missing Schiff's point.  The kernel is
right there in the Rachmaninoff/Glazunov account.  (And that's from someone
who still doesn't like Rachmaninoff; I heard his last orchestral work two
days ago at the MSO (Symphonic Dances) following an exceptional performance
of Barber's Violin Concerto by Salerno-Sonnenberg and it was a real
letdown.)

Jim Tobin