Steven Schwartz wrote:

>Why do numbers enter into this at all?  If it's a great piece, why
>shouldn't the composer of that piece be influential?

Hold it right there folks.  Try the ultra budget CD in the BBC radio
classics series of Rubbra's fourth symphony, his piano concerto and
soliqoquy for Cello and orchestra performed by Vernon Handley and the
LSO.  This is a studio recording (unusual in this series) with good
sound quality.

No time to write a long review now but I recall loving everything when
I first heard it it a year ago.  Skipping through the tracks now one is
reminded greatly of Vaughan Williams.  The first movment has a very sweet
relaxing opening.  The piano concerto is again typically British.  But
again skipping through it seems really attractive to me.

What's wrong with British music anyway? Nothing in my view.The only reason
composers like Vaughan-Williams and Rubbra aren't better know is that they
committed the crime of carrying on writing late romantic music when they
weren't supposed to.

Finally, I know people who cite Sibelius as their favourite composer.
He's high in my top ten, so still very much in fashion here.

Bob Draper
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