I find it one of the most amazing things about LvB that, even after all
this time, and despite the general consensus among the CM community about
his greatness, that he can still arouse such passionate disagreement,
because he always wrote to please himself and solve compositional problems
that only he could have conceived of, much less solved.

OTOH, this does not mean that all of his greatest works were spectacularly
complex and incomprehensible.  The Violin Concerto is a perfect example:
on the surface, so simple that people who expect a concerto to be full of
virtuosity and display are bitterly disappointed, but in reality so
profound that it challenges the best performers.  Generations of audiences
have found listening to it a soul-enriching experience, and I am sure that
many generations more will follow suit.

Jon Johanning // [log in to unmask]