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musical journalism de jour
Jan. 23rd, 2007 02:34 pmSo if I'm writing a review of a work, I might want to see what wiser old heads have had to say about it. Alec Robertson wrote of "the dramatic, and even tragic, emotional tone" of Dvorak's Seventh Symphony. Donald Francis Tovey said "it is powerfully tragic," and who am I to argue with Donald Francis Tovey? He was the great writer of musical analysis, and everyone since then is in his debt.
Nevertheless, it seems to me that "Dvorak in a tragic mood just gets a little quieter, a little more introspective - insofar as such a naturally ebullient composer ever can," and that is what I wrote in my review, following an acknowledgment that "it is often called his tragic symphony."
The copy editor originally changed this to "it is often called his 'Tragic' Symphony," and I hit a fast reply: no, no, I meant what I said. If its name were the "Tragic" I would have said so. He apologized, but apparently reviewers often write things like "Beethoven's Sixth is often called his pastoral symphony," and he's just used to fixing them. But I think someone working with music criticism ought to know where the nicknames are and where they aren't. Let's talk about "The Bells of Zlonice" some time (evocative title, too bad the music isn't up to it).
On the front page this week all the staff got together to list some upcoming good concerts. We had fun putting this together last month, trading our lists around by e-mail to make sure there wasn't much duplication. And there wasn't: there is that much good music-making going on around here.
Nevertheless, it seems to me that "Dvorak in a tragic mood just gets a little quieter, a little more introspective - insofar as such a naturally ebullient composer ever can," and that is what I wrote in my review, following an acknowledgment that "it is often called his tragic symphony."
The copy editor originally changed this to "it is often called his 'Tragic' Symphony," and I hit a fast reply: no, no, I meant what I said. If its name were the "Tragic" I would have said so. He apologized, but apparently reviewers often write things like "Beethoven's Sixth is often called his pastoral symphony," and he's just used to fixing them. But I think someone working with music criticism ought to know where the nicknames are and where they aren't. Let's talk about "The Bells of Zlonice" some time (evocative title, too bad the music isn't up to it).
On the front page this week all the staff got together to list some upcoming good concerts. We had fun putting this together last month, trading our lists around by e-mail to make sure there wasn't much duplication. And there wasn't: there is that much good music-making going on around here.
