Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site pyuxt.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!pyuxww!pyuxv!pyuxt!marcus From: marcus@pyuxt.UUCP (M. G. Hand) Newsgroups: net.music.classical Subject: Re: Favorite Composer Poll - Interim results Message-ID: <231@pyuxt.UUCP> Date: Tue, 11-Dec-84 21:37:57 EST Article-I.D.: pyuxt.231 Posted: Tue Dec 11 21:37:57 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 12-Dec-84 06:14:42 EST References: <900@ihuxn.UUCP> Organization: Bell Communications Research, Piscataway N.J. Lines: 17 In connection (or connexion as the paper I am about to mention frequently spelled it) with JS Bach being very "firmly" some peoples favorite, I recall some discussion from the pages of the Times (London). It was well know to readers that the columnist Bernard Levin (of "I think I can fit at least 100 more words into this sentence" fame) was besotted with Wagner, particularly the operas of the ring cycle. Several other columnists sparred with him periodically about this and his dismissal of J. S. Bach, until eventually someone claimed to have discovered the reason. It was, he claimed, because Levin was tone deaf - Wagner's complexity was mistaken for musicallity and Bach's syncopation and counterpoint were not recognised by the listener concerned! Maybe, there is an analogous but opposite effect in operation here. -- Marcus Hand {ihnp4!}pyuxt!marcus