[lbo-talk] Another thing about Vivaldi....

[Carrol Cox]

It is sort of fascinating how these 'revolutions' in taste occur so 
often. In the 1950s, if anyone wanted to hear Vivaldi played live they 
would have had to go to Carnegie hall at 4am. Musicians from various NY 
orchestras got together then to play Vivaldi. And Wyndham Lewis snarled, 
800 mmss. of Vivaldi unedited and they dare to talk of western 
civilization. I think it's fascinating because sit gives empirical 
evidence for the impossibility of establishing "objective" standards for 
judging art of any kind.

I can explain why I like this or that writer, but I would not claim that 
that explanation 'proved' anything. I'm completely untrained in music 
(having thought until I was in my mid-20s that I was tone deaf), and 
accordingly can't even explain why I like this or that musician. I like 
Vivaldi. I am mostly bored by Brahms or Beethoven. Why? I wouldn't 
venture a reason.

Carrol