Bernard Chasan <[log in to unmask]> writes:

>> But I thing that Ms. Wong would agree that there is an enormous amount
>> of twentieth century music which is accessible.

Joccelyn Wang replies:

>"Accessible" has become a euphemism for tolerable, not likely to drive
>audiences from their seats in flight from atonal screeching.  The fact is
>that much of, if not most of, classical music itself is inaccessible by
>virtue of its sheer complexity, the depth of thought, and the attention
>span required of its listeners.  But, yes, there was a lot of melodic music
>composed last century.

I of course understand that classical music requires an attention span.
I use "accessible" to indicate that I think that a serious listener
can connect with it without detailed study or repetition.  Incidentally,
I think that music can be too accessible, too easy to take.  Lowell
Lieberman's Second Symphony is, to my ears, a case in point.  It is too
self consciously beautiful, and all the beauty is skin deep.  I will take
Schoenberg (always excepting Pierrot Lunaire) any day, and Berg even
quicker.

Bernard Chasan <[log in to unmask]>