Critical Review 6: Nettl

I found Nettl’s opinion about how the composer of a given piece affects its notoriety to be very interesting. Clearly, he believes that one’s opinion of a particular work is largely based on who wrote it. As a scholar, one is respected for the ability to recognize the artistic mind behind a certain piece simply by listening. Nettl says,

The most important feature of a piece is the identity of the composer, and recognizing the composer of what one hears or sees on the page is the surest way of proving membership in musical society.

I believe that notions such as the aforementioned are the reasons why western art music is often left out of the realms that ethnomusicologists study. No one wants to challenge the pedestal on which the great composers stand because they do not have any sort of standing to back of their criticism.

I wonder whether at any point in the future, there will be a composer whose brilliance is acknowledged during his or her lifetime. When this comes to pass, he or she will be able to open a world where these iconic composers may be flawed.