I wrote:

>>A lot of damage is being done and has been done to contemporary music
>>by composers who are not particularly interested in listeners.

To which Don Satz replied:

>I don't know if Varese is interested in listeners, and I don't care.  The
>only thing I would ask of composers, although it's none of my business, is
>that they create works that they want to create, not works that they think
>the listener wants to hear.
>
>This notion of damage caused by "modernist" composers and works has
>been voiced before, and I think it is without merit.  I see no logic to it
>nor any causal relationship.

I perhaps overstated the case, and as my note indicated, I love much 20 th
century music.  And it's not just a case of atonal music - IMHO Berg's
Violin Concerto is as good as the 20th century gets.  But listeners are an
important part of the musical ecology and the fact is that anyone equipped
with ears knows that there is a good deal of ugly, strained, angst ridden
music out there.

On the other hand I have direct knowledge of MY ears only, so maybe all
this is just a matter of taste and opinion.

Regards, Bernie