Robert Peters et al versus Steve Schwartz et al

I have been following this thread with great interest, but can no longer
suppress my impatience.

There are a number of complicating factors in the arguments, usually
involving one persons liking or dislike for a certain musician's music,
but the main argument seems to be that Robert claims that he can hear
reflections of a musician's personal character in that musician's music,
and others find this hard to believe.

There is a test.  If Robert, or anyone else, has heard the music of an
unknown composer, has heard, and documented, his opinion of that composer's
character and has later documented his success or failure, and has done
this a sufficient number of times for the results to be statistically
significant, then Robert, or whoever else does it, can claim to hear
character in music.

Without this, Robert lays himself open to our opinion that he is reading
into the music what he knows, or thinks he knows, of the character of
the composer.  Sadly, I find myself of this opinion, although I would
be glad to be persuaded otherwise.

I agree, as usual, with Mimi.  Let's just listen to the music.

Alan Dudley <[log in to unmask]>