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July 17, 2005

Geographical differences?

I'm glad Doug used quote marks when he made note of the "second cities" of America. It points out the extent to which music criticism tends to be regarded in the global sense outside the acknowledged centers of U.S. artistic activity - New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles. Take it from one New York-born and East Coast-trained music critic who has spent his career in music criticism west of the Hudson and east of Lake Michigan: those of us who toil on behalf of classical music in the "nether" regions of the country are no less devoted to our craft than those who live in the metropolises with oodles more activity. Nor are we less likely to cover our local arts organizations with the scrutiny, depth or enthusiasm/despair that can be found wherever the music we love is explored.

Excuse me if I boast: Here in Cleveland, I have the privilege to cover an orchestra considered by many to be one of the two or three or four best in the world. It deserves to be treated with utmost seriousness and respect, while also being held to standards established decades ago by Artur Rodzinski and George Szell. Despite what some may believe, critical discourse exists in the region. Cleveland may be a one-newspaper town, but thoughtful voices can be heard from nearby Akron, where the Beacon Journal's fine music critic, Elaine Guregian, covers the orchestra comprehensively, and from several other sources, including weekly papers and radio. The debate may not be as extensive - or, indeed, political - as in London or Vienna, but the public can partake of numerous passionate arguments as they confirm the importance of music in their lives.

That said, we are both loved and reviled. No matter how much experience or knowledge or affection or literary poetry we invest in our efforts, there will be those who see things otherwise. Amen. When people say they aren't reading us, of course, they are. So let's keep things lively, responsible and penetrating. Let's respect what our colleagues say, even if we violently disagree. Maintaining - and, we hope, increasing - the presence of classical music in print and online is a mission to which we must mutually pledge, with edited thanks to Thomas Jefferson, our lives and our sacred honor. I leave out "our fortunes" for obvious reasons.


Posted by drosenberg at July 17, 2005 06:34 PM

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