Deryk Barker wrote

>I've said this before, but I think on another list: my problem is with
>those who would canonise Mozart, who consider his every musical utterance
>to be a supreme manifestation of genius; I have even heard a fairly
>well-respected and educated musician tell an audience that Mozart composed
>flawlessly, without erasure or crossing out.  Mostly, yes, but the ms.
>of K.491 I think it is, shows a different case altogether.

I can quote here from Riccardo Chailly who said recently: "I believe that
Rossini is like Mozart.  Neither of them ever wrote a bad note..." Wrong
on both counts I think and it's the early works of both composers that
are most suspect.

>For me, Mozart's greatest music is as great as any anyone has ever
>composed; but I'd far rather listen to a Haydn symphony than most of
>Mozart's (exc.  29, 34 and the last 4) - but far rather a piano concerto
>by Mozart than one by Haydn.

For me Haydn's greatest music is as great as anyone has ever composed.
Brief list: the middle/late quartets, the sturm und drang / Paris and
London symphonies, the late masses, the two late oratorios, the late piano
sonatas, the late trios, the trumpet concerto, the two cello concertos, the
seven last words etc.  No doubt others would apply the same accolade to
other composers.  The Haydn piano concertos apart from number 11 are all
very youthful works and are thinly scored.

>It looks to me rather like another manifestation of the North American "one
>is all you need" syndrome.  Tscanini was the only conductor you needed to
>bother with, Heifetz the only violinist, Horowitz the only pianist.  There
>are only 3 tenors worth hearing, etc, etc, "The only Classical CD You'll
>ever need".

Great, another new syndrome to discuss.  or is it a member of a subset of
the "big names syndrome".

Actually there are companies marketing on cable channels "All the classical
music you'll ever need".  We all know what you get Beethoven's moonlight
sonata first movement, 1812, Peer Gynt bits, Eine Klein Nacht Music
extracts etc.  Then when you're bored with that lot back to pop music you
go.

>Would it be handy if there was only one composer you needed to bother
>with?

We have the same situation in science where Einstein is supposed to be
THE scientist.  It is a facile point of view thought up by marketing men
who enjoy having a dumbed down non thinking population to deal with.  But
we're not like that are we?

Bob Draper
Thinking for himself
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