Now that I have your attention, a miscellany of smatterings.... Pop-bloggers are again debating Rockism, a hardy perennial that's their equivalent of our beloved Evil Serialist Conspiracy. Read a broadside by John Shaw and a mellow riposte by Franklin Bruno.... The sharp-tongued, well-sourced opera maven La Cieca is blogging prolifically. Genius description of poor Alberto Vilar as "apprehended altruist." Trrill is also back on the warpath.... Kyle Gann writes an elegant appreciation of the late George Rochberg. Like Kyle, I never quite got Rochberg's neo-tonal music, with its reliance on quotation (if you want to write tonal music, write tonal music, as Berio said to young Steve Reich), but I admired his conviction. As Sequenza21 points out, you can hear his Circles of Fire at Art of the States.... Why do I not care who Piano Man is? He's received attention outside the ghetto for one reason only: the media love to depict classical musicians as basket cases. The guy has received more coverage in the past few weeks than any living pianist with the possible exception of Lang Lang.... If you want to while away an evening in the company of charming genius, curl up with Cage and Feldman, courtesy of Other Minds (and Richard Friedman).
