“I’ve found over the years that readers are intrigued by the practical matters of being a music critic,” writes Anthony Tommasini in Sunday’s (9/24) New York Times. “What’s the workload like? How much preparation is involved? These days I go to, on average, three performances a week… I just returned from Opera Philadelphia’s new festival, where over 72 hours I took in five operas, including three world premieres. (I find reviewing opera the easiest, since … I can describe the story, acting, sets, costumes, all of which lend themselves readily to words, as opposed to trying to convey what a new symphonic work sounds like.) … The most exciting, if challenging, aspect of the job involves reviewing a new piece. That’s when a music critic can really matter, if a first performance is going to lead to a second, a third and a future for the piece. My inclination is to be as open-minded as possible.… Maybe if I heard it again, and again, I’d have a different take. Yet, if I really don’t like it, I’ll say so. And if history proves me wrong … so be it. At least my review will be a fresh, immediate reaction.”
Posted September 25, 2017
