Taking a Rest from Musical Criticism - Michael Moran
Julius Schmid (1854-1935), Schubertiade (1897) to celebrate the Schubert centenary I seem to have become a complete musical, critical anachronism in 2026. Redundant. I must now admit to having almost completely lost confidence in the usefulness and even appreciation of my rather long, perhaps all too personal, assessment of music recitals and concerts. There is little motivation to make these festivals truly international except of course for the Olympic-style kudos offered by pianists who come from many countries in competitions. I alone seem to be aware of the international utility and historical record of my reviews written in English, the lingua franca of the planet, however you may feel today about that form of 'imperialism'. Music is such an ephemeral art, surely some record of performances needs to be retained. Otherwise, you tend to be only as good as your last performance or recording. Many concerts, competitions and recitals can be watched over the internet onlin...