Bill Hong:

>I offer one thought on the dichotomy between "mainstream" conductors,
>and those who specialize in older musics--some individuals of the latter
>category have directed performances by composers who literally span the
>centuries from the Medieval to Beethoven's time, using ensembles that range
>from those that use crummhorns and archlutes to orchestras that (although
>using period instruments), still are recognizable by any symphony orchestra
>listener.
>
>Yet my impression is always that it's these musicians who are considered to
>have a "limited" repertory, whereas many of the "mainstream" conductors
>don't do anything earlier than Mozart, or later than Bartok.  So who's got
>the more "limited" repertory?

Great point.  It's even worse than that.  The great conductors - or the
conductors considered great - have specialized mainly in Austro-Germanic
composers from this period.  When people worry about the Next Great
Conductor, they generally don't wonder about how good his Ravel, Verdi,
or Stravinsky is.

Steve Schwartz