Norman Schwartz wrote:

>I feel a composer is "Great" if he/she gets their message across
>(appeals) to the largest numbers and variety of listeners.  By variety I
>mean to include the so-called "man in the street" as well as professional
>performing musicians, musicologists, composers and those holding graduate
>degrees in music.

I am surprised that you think that the man in the street is a good arbiter
of music quality.

The man in the street has kept totalitarian regimes in power, regularly
votes against his/her best interests and is duped daily into purchasing
products that are injurous to ones health.

Neither do I trust so-called experts to arrive at the correct conclusion in
any matter.  History is littered with erroneous pronouncements by experts,
ranging from the world being flat to there being intelligent life on mars.
Recently, a nobel prize winner was proved to be wrong in his description of
the working of the immune system.  The prize committee solved the problem
by awarding another prize to the person providing the 'correct' theory (an
ex bar girl).

Also, I would remind you that musical experts have changed their minds
several times over the last few hundred years about whom is great and whom
is not.

The answer to this conudrum is that greatness is in the mind of the
beholder.  Once again, I say that there are no absolutes in this world,
be they in the fields of art, music or science.  This of course, includes
my own theories which are there to be picked over by whoever wishes.

Bob Draper
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