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Does Mozart really all sound the same? Are Wagner's operas much better with cuts? Could Schumann never orchestrate his way out of a paper bag? David Hurwitz, executive editor of ClassicsToday.com makes these and other claims in a recent column which argues that the problem with classical music is that people too often feel that it's a "take it or leave it" proposition. In fact, he says, not all great composers achieved greatness all the time, despite what critics and those in the music business will lead you to believe. Hurwitz joins us to share some examples. Also on the show, Norman Lebrecht, British critic and author of Who Killed Classical Music?: Maestros, Managers and Corporate Politics. He recently argued in a column that "the year 2004 will be the last for the classical record industry” and joins us today to discuss whether the industry is really in its death throes.
Additional Resources:
» Norman Lebrecht’s Columns
» Classical Music’s Ten Dirtiest Secrets