Chris Bonds wrote:

>...do we go for breadth of experience or for greater depth into
>the unfathomable greatness of genius?  Is time spent listening to
>Fibich better spent listening to the other masters?

Go for the breadth and the depth.  I couldn't travel the "obscure" route
and pay scant attention to the masters.  At the same time, it would be too
limiting to restrict myself to only the masters.  Although time is finite,
I think that a serious classical music lover makes time to reap the rewards
of both avenues.

To take this theme to trivial levels, I'm now listening to a master
composer(Schubert), master-level piano trio(op.100), obscure period
instrument ensemble(La Gaia Scienza), on an obscure label (Winter &
Winter).  I'm loving every minute of it, being in a great mood after
getting a brand new computer with better sound system than in the past.
The music and performance are great too.  Another separate disc has op.
99 - just as good.  If you like period instruments in this repertoire,
you won't find any better.  No need to worry about the fortepiano; it
has a sparkling quality which I found very appealing.

Don Satz
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