Robert Lyman wrote:

>I think there is a lot of similarity in Baroque music because the
>harmonic structure was fairly rigid.

Bach doesn't sound similar to Handel who doesn't sound similar to Couperin
who doesn't sound similar to Scarlatti.  The great composers of any time
period create their own sound world.  The "similarlity" aspect can be laid
at the door of the proficiently crafted composers who follow the sound
world of others and the routine composers (many of whom in the baroque
category have been recorded).  For some reason, record companies, and
particularly radio stations, don't see much difference between a Bach and
a Zach.  About two years ago, I bought a disc of Zach sinfonias (or some
similar category) on Arta.  The music was thoroughly forgettable.  To my
surprise, I heard it a few months later on the local radio station; the
announcer told the world that this music was very good.

So, my "beef" with this is that a typical listener hears all this
run-of-the-mill baroque fluff and reasonably concludes that baroque music
isn't so good.  I have never heard on the local radio the Art of Fugue or
more than two or three peices from the WTC at a time.  I have rid my home
of that baroque fluff and still have many hundreds of great baroque
recordings (although many of them are multiple versions).

Don Satz
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