Jocelyn Wang replying to me replying to her:

>>>And what better guide to to the composer's intent do we have?
>>
>>Probably none.
>
>There you go.  In these two words, you have shot down your entire case
>about not knowing what the composer intended, only what he wrote.

I still don't know what he intends and, I submit, neither do you.

>>But you assume that the composer always writes what he or she intends.
>>I myself always intend to write a masterpiece.
>
>He DOES always write what he intends.  Whether the result is a masterpiece
>remains to be seen.

Then why do composers revise if they always write what they intend? Sounds
to me like you're positing composer as demigod again.  I don't know any
music by divine personages, only by mostly fallible human beings.

>>If you ask me how many I've actually written, I'd have to admit I don't
>>know.
>
>Tell you what, send one of them to me.  I'm not the only one who decides
>what we play, but, if we like it enough, we'll try to program it.  And you
>can believe we won't cut any repeats unless you consider them optional.

Tell you what, play what you want.  Send me the results.  If I like them, I
may tell you, if you can trust me to say what I mean.

>You never know until you try.  Give me a break.

I imagine that first sentence as Beethoven's motto.

Steve Schwartz