Denis Fodor writes: >But the canon is about the nub of things, and much less about how >they're expressed. I would say that the canon is about the 'average' of things with a great deal of 'follow the leader' involved. >And the way we get to the nub of things is by seeking, and establishing, >a consensus-- necessarily a societal, not an individual undertaking. >You sift the opinions of the established authorities in order to set up a >paradigm for what is good. This is essential because we are individuals, >yes, but in our relations with others we are but members of a community, >or a society, or a culture. Yes, but the subject is music, not world politics. The individual has no reason to do anything but look to his/her own personal preferences. Consensus, whatever its merits, has no meaning to ascertaining and following one's own musical path. I think Denis and I are miles apart on this matter. I wince when I read "authorities" or "members of a community". With music, I don't have to pay any attention to those concepts. Don Satz [log in to unmask]