Lawrence Glavin replies to Karl Miller:

>>As for the success of Levine...that has me stumped. He isn't like any
>>designer gown, he ain't exotic, he is a very well trained highly talented
>>musician, but for me, in the final analysis, his interpretations bore
>>me to death.
>
>>Overrated for sure, but that has not stopped the Boston press from
>>lionizing him, just as in a different way it covered for Ozawa.
>>Roger Hecht
>
>When you refer to the "Boston press", you may be referring to Richard
>Dyer of the Boston Globe.

Pretty much. But maybe the new writer for the Globe, too.

>The Boston Herald has cut W-A-Y back on cultural coverage

I hardly ever read that rag and never really think of as Boston Press
or Boston anything, though it does have a good sports page.

>...and the weekly Boston Phoenix has an able critic, but that
>publication is heavily focused on popular "art" such as movies,

Agreed on both. The Phoenix is very heavy on rock.

>TV and the output of the recording industry.  Richard Dyer retired at
>the end of the Tanglewood season, and his official retirement party just
>occurred.  He was the most prominent hagiographer of James Levine over
>the past several years; who knows, he might have been a significant
>catalyst for Maestro Levine's hiring.

He was very protective and praising of Ozawa, as well.  I swear, though,
that early in his career, after Ozawa had been here about ten years,
Dyer wrote a column advising Ozawa to leave when his contract was up.
But I have never been able to find it.  *Someone* wrote it, but I can't
be sure who any more.

>His replacement, Jeremy Eichler, formerly of the parent NY Times, has
>not been given the number of column-inches Dyer had, and hasn't so far
>run many ruminative pieces in the Arts section of the Sunday Globe, so
>we may have to wait a while for him to become a force in the musical
>culture in the City Formerly Known As The Hub Of The Universe.

Before Eichler was hired, the scuttlebutt going around was that the
Globe was hoping to have one critic cover different types of music,
thereby diluting classical coverage.  Eichler hasn't done that or served
in that role so far.  I do think he's written more thoughtfully about
some of the music he's reviewing than Dyer did, but he often says little
about the performances.  When Dyer did that, which he often did, I used
to think that he was following the old aphorism, "if you can't saying
something nice about someone, don't say anything at all."

For what it's worth, one of Dyer's most cutting remarks (I'm almost
positive it was him) was this remark when reviewing the Munich Philharmonic
concert when on tour in the Boston area 10-15 years ago (under Celibidache,
if that sets the date somewhat): The management of the Boston Symphony
should buy free tickets for members of the BSO brass section and make
them attend a concert by the Munich Philarmonic.  Ooooo.  Nasty.  And
not inappropiate.

Roger Hecht