John dalmas:

>So I say, why not leave the great composers in the pantheon, and be honest
>about the music outside?

What you are suggesting is all fine; I would ammend it by the principle
that the critic should keep it in mind when a piece or a composer doesn't
appeal to him that it is possible, and sometimes highly probable, that the
cause lies with the critic and not with the composer or the work.  This is
especially probable in cases where the work or the composer in question has
a phenomenal reputation which remains consistent (or intensifies) across
large time spans, across cultural and geographical boundaries, etc.

The probability of a conspiracy decreases exponentially with the
number of conspirators needed to sustain it.

Ulvi
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