William Strother wrote: >I love Hanslick. Don't always agree with him, but he's so refreshing to >read. I agree. I generally quite like Hanslick, the so called Wiener Musikpapst (Viennese Musical Pope). I even think the things the says about Wagner are much more interesting that what George Bernard Shaw (the Perfect Wagnerite) wrote - and I am someone who really likes Wagner! He generally takes pains when he writes to sound as little like Wagner's Beckmesser (who as you will know is a caricature of Hanslick) as you could imagine - at least when he is writing about Wagner. The things he wrote about Bruckner - well that is what in German would be appropriately called 'Beckmesserei' (lit. Beckmessery).On the contrary the things he wrote about Brahms are uninsightful to the extreme, especially when busily lavishing praise on him. Satoshi Akima Sydney, Australia [log in to unmask]