This whole question is very interesting in light of a conversation
which has been transpiring among another group to which I
peripherally belong.
A few weeks ago the classical music critic of the NYT decided to, or
was coaxed or otherwise cornered into, presenting a series of What
Makes This Composer Great articles, including a series of videos in
which he attempted to demonstrate the answer for a small group of
18th and 19th c "Classical" composers. The series included
opportunities for readers to vote and to comment. Some 1500
different people did comment and Beethoven received some 15K votes,
while Bach came in 300+ votes behind him.
The musicologists were beside themselves, to a person, with scorn and
irritation at the sheer stupidity of everything from bothering at all
to not including composers from the 12th through the 21st centuries,
all the way down to the basic question of whether "great" exists.
Nary a voice seemed to have any concept of what a non-musicologist
might find interesting, illuminating or worth participating in about
such a project. Sadly, not even the ones who have made serious
attempts to interface with other kinds of musics, comprehended what
the benefits of a project like this might be.
I'm not much of a musicologist any more, but I was struck by the
absolute failure on the part of this group to recognize that
everyone, at some point in their lives, knows a lot less about how
music works or is put together, and some of those people at various
points in their lives might like to get a little more education for a
whole lot of possible reasons. In addition, I was mystified by the
complete obliviousness of the group to the ever pressing need to
build bigger audiences for all of the "classical" musics, and the
possiblity that such a set of articles might help that along.
Especially so, because many of these scholars are in a life and death
struggle for funds and secure jobs so they can pursue their tiny
bailiwicks in "classical" music.
I was also struck by the critical dilemma which appears in every
aspect of our society concerning identifying value - defining "good"
and "not good".
--
Emily L. Ferguson
mailto:elf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
508-563-6822
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