Richard Tsuyuki:

>The distinguishing characteristic of popular music, it seems to me, is the
>overwhelming emphasis on a simple, repetitive tune, usually delivered by a
>single voice.

Well, that's certainly *one* characteristic, but it also describes most of
Schubert's Die schoene Muellerin.

>It follows, then, that a reason that Mozart, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky
>are so popular on the radio and in the "averaged" tastes of many listeners
>might be that they often provide a catchy, sing-able tune or two.  Of
>course there's a lot more going on, but why else is Beethoven's 5th so
>well-known, if not for "da-da-da-DUM!".

I know what you're going for, but it's a bad example.  Beethoven's 5th,
aside from being a great piece of music, has benefitted from historical
accident as well.

One other reason for Mozart's, Beethoven's, and Tchaikovsky's success
(other than their merit, of course) is that, like popular music, they are
repeatedly played.  You might argue that they are repeatedly played because
they are popular, but this argument doesn't cut much ice.  You can't tell
me that the world was waiting for, eg, Britney Spears or Terry Jacks.

>If I'm right, the advocates of the "Received Canon" are saying something
>like, "if you listen to Mozart first, you're more likely to pick up on
>a catchy tune that will appeal in a way similar to the kinds of music
>you are used to," while the detractors are saying something like, "if all
>you listen for are catchy tunes you'll either get stuck on a superficial
>listening level, or just get bored, so do not emphasize this sort of music,
>which tends to initially encourage that kind of listening."

Actually, that's not what *I've* been saying.  What I've advocated is to
find out what your taste is.  If it includes this mythical Received Canon
or large parts of it, fine.  If it excludes the RC or most of it, also
fine.  The point is that, again, no piece of music that I know of is the
sure indicator of Perfect Taste.  We react to art differently as we react
to food differently.  No one can convince you that you like cauliflower
when you don't.  No one can tell you even that you *should* like
cauliflower unless they have the ego of Aaron Spelling.  It's your time,
it's your life.  Fritter it away as you wish.

The idea of "sides" in this matter bothers me.  People tend to talk as if
one likes the RC or doesn't, whereas it's not a case of exclusion.  I'm one
of the people who likes many of the works most people put in the RC (I'm a
great fan of Tchaikovsky, for example), but I also like things that haven't
made it.  Indeed, one of my great joys is finding wonderful music by a
composer I've never even heard of (just found one this last week).  I don't
see why I'm to spend my life within the confines of what I already know.
Discovery is a pleasure.  I can get that from a Mozart or Beethoven work
I've never heard of and I can also get it from Luigi Nono.

Steve Schwartz