Chris Bonds wrote:

>Perhaps there should be an equation between talent and compensation but the
>reality of the world is that there is not.

True enough.

>Image-building is necessary in order to sell the CM product these days.

Another fact of life, yes.

>Perlman was mentioned in the previous post, and if you are referring to him
>in the above quote I would modestly take some exception in his case.  He
>really has earned his reputation and high fees, I think.  ...Where Perlman
>stands apart is his sense of style.  That is a gift, and it's worth some
>money.

Again: I wouldn't argue with this.

What's missing -- to echo a remark made previously -- is that, for some,
this 'style' alone is not quite enough.  At least part of that initial
point, IIRC, was that such artists should do justice to the position of
extreme privilege they've reached by trotting out something other than
the old warhorses, both in their live appearances and in their recordings.

Far too few *star* artists seem inclined to do this.  Perhaps if they did,
they'd earn a respect that's more commensurate with all the attention they
get ...and their huge fame and wealth.

This, I realize full well, is hardly a knock-down argument.  In fact, it's
not an argument at all, unless one subscribes to an extended notion of
responsibility toward one's art.  Or if one buys into the view that even
the Perlmans are lucky; after all, through no fault of their own, infant
Picassos and Gubaidulinas are probably picking their way through garbage
heaps for food right now, lacking simply the opportunities.

So this retort can be viewed as just a complaint, I guess.

All the same, when we decry the many worthy composers who aren't getting
the attention they deserve, we shouldn't just think about the big bad
labels.  Also consider that some individuals could afford to alter things
as well.  In fact, most of us could probably list some artists who do put
in an effort.  (Lord Menuhin comes to my mind, as does Marc-Andre Hamelin.
And wasn't it G Kremer who revived Schulhoff for you and me, after about
40 years of successful suppression by the Nazis?)

Perlman simply does not jump to mind in this connection.  Do correct me
if I'm wrong.

Bert Bailey, in Ottawa