>I recall, for
>example, a HS textbook on the history of music that went into great depth
>discussing classical composers and music traditions all over the world, and
>had one (sic!) brief section on rock'n'roll which described it as a rather
>amateurish form of music whose main value was "self satisfaction of those
>who play it."
Woj, now I understand where your cultural attitudes come from!
One of the great things about Shostakovich is how he combines Western high culture with some kind of Soviet consciousness, in spite of himself.
Doug