Friday, September 03, 2004

Pop Stars Should Not Write Classical Music!

That's the view of composer Daniel Felsenfeld, who objects to Elvis Costello's latest symphonic ballet. Writing in New Music Box, Felsenfeld throws down the gauntlet:

"And all of us need to consider this: perhaps walls are important. Maybe it is how people differentiate, and when everything is 'classical' music, nothing is. As for Elvis: he deserves to be taken as seriously as anyone is, no less (and no more). Yes, his rock star status got him to Lincoln Center, but at some point the lights dimmed, the orchestra began to play, and Elvis or not, something musical happened. If we are going to judge it, it is by those standards alone. We owe him that�and I hope that one day, when Mr. Costello is sitting in an audience waiting to hear one of my pieces, he does me the same courtesy. "

[Link from Artsjournal.com]