John Smyth wrote:

>Who is more important, the composer or the performer?

I think part of what Rorem forgets to mention is that it is only after
the early 20th century (ie.  the time when Rorem was coming into his 'prime'
as a composer) that the two really became separate entities.  Up until
that time, composers were performers, and the majority of performers did
at least *some* composing.  My guess is that audiences in the past were
more interested in seeing a composer *perform* his or her own work than in
purchasing a score of the work.  This would seem to lead naturally to the
balance shifting to the performer now that the two disciplines have become
more and more separated.  In fact, it is the composers who perform (or
conduct) that are the most *financially* successful (Boulez, Ades, Adams,
Reich, Glass).  Rorem, of course, was an excellent pianist as evidenced on
early releases of his songs, but he has all but given up the performance
aspect of his art, and his 'profile' in the musical world has
correspondingly declined.  It has become increasingly common among the
younger generation of composers to begin performing again, and this has
led to an increase in their success as composers--the musicians of Bang
on a Can (whether or not one cares for their music) come to mind.

Marcus Maroney
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