Len Fehskens wrote:

>Would someone care to explain to me what we gain by knowing that a
>given composer is or is not "great"?

Not a heck of a lot.  It's difficult to have a worthy question-answer
discussion when a major word in the question, "great", can not be defined
with any degree of precision.  I think it's just based on individual
preferences.  A "consensus" can not prove greatness; it can only confer
greatness.

Perhaps what we most gain from this type of thread is some insight into the
person who considers a particular composer great.  Whether that's something
you want to gain is another matter, but I think it has some benefits.

Don Satz
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