Don Satz writes:

>Getting back to Strauss in general, I consider his music to have a firm
>foot in the 19th century, and my view is that his music does not represent
>significant advances or innovations of the 20th century.

Let us first of all agree that the concept of a composer of the century is
arbitrary and all but meaningless.  I personally would have chosen Bartok
if somebody had threatened me with bodily harm if I did not make a choice.
That said, the interesting point here is the validity of the concept of
significant advances or innovations.  It is clearly a meaningful concept,
but only to a point.  Pushed too far, the concept makes music sound like
a branch of science or technology.  Pushed not far enough, it denies to
classical music its place as a living part of contemporary culture.

Professor Bernard Chasan
Physics Department, Boston University