Steve Schwartz wrote:

>At this point, I wish to make it clear that I've got nothing against the RC
>-- or perhaps it would be more accurate to say the Classical Top Fifty --
>in the sense that it simply describes a body of work which has been seen by
>a number of generations as central to Western European music.  For those of
>you who want examples (and to show that I'm not handwaving), I'd offer the
>following:
>(there follow's Steve's list, with no liszt)

Fine-this is Steve's list of stuff he likes (at this minute) written say-
before 1972.  It is a list of considerable quirkiness,but maybe that is
the point.  If 50 people made lists there would, I believe, be considerable
overlap, together with a fair amount of highly idiosyncratic choices.  So
there is no use carping about Steve's choices- no use wondering how he
could omit Liszt's Piano Sonata and stick in Copland's Fanfare for the
Common Man.  No use wondering why the Mozart Divertimento for Strings, K
563 is not there, nor any Bartok quartets.  No Sibelius no Ravel, Elgar and
Vaughn Williams get honorable mention only, hours of Wagner, And, NO CHOPIN
!!!!!

Professor Bernard Chasan
Physics Department, Boston University