In Reply to: I'm not disputing "reality", I'm just arguing against Thomson's view that........ posted by Rick W on November 18, 2014 at 10:10:55:
But he really meant not just writing well in the stylistic sense, but also being a knowledgeable and articulate historian, educator, scholar and musicologist, all of which he happened to be. High caliber critics like him make an important contribution to our cultural life, and his thumbs up or down judgment of a specific performer or piece of music is by far the least important aspect of that contribution. Yes, he was paid to do that, so he did it, but I suspect he did it grudgingly, and he was reportedly a pompous a$$hole about it. So that is the least important part of his reputation. If anything it slightly tarnishes his legacy.Edit: And keep in mind that his quote is in part an ironic jab at lesser critics. So his rep as an a$$hole may be at least partly deserved.
Edits: 11/18/14
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Follow Ups
- RE: I'm not disputing "reality", I'm just arguing against Thomson's view that........ - rbolaw 11:09:35 11/18/14 (2)
- Hmm, then you're expressing what he meant better than he did. - Rick W 12:53:49 11/18/14 (1)
- Well, I'm not being ... - rbolaw 13:14:53 11/18/14 (0)