Mats writes: >Although Edward Elgar was Englands leading composer, and in fact, the >first English composer who seriously challenged the composers on the >continent Oh, I don't know. Byrd? Weelkes? Taverner? Tallis? Costeley? Purcell? >,... it might seem remarkable that he chose a subject like "Falstaff" >to constitute the program of a Symphonic Study Doesn't seem remarkable to me. He was, after all, known in his day as a fine amateur (ie, non-academic) Shakespear scholar, with at least one journal article to his credit. >Elgar had a natural aversion against strict counterpoint actually, but >that stemed from his idea of what kind of music he wanted to compose, >and not lack of manage of the craft. Really? He sure wrote enough of it. Steve Schwartz