Detail of portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven by Joseph Karl Stieler, 1820 (Wikimedia)

It has recently come to my attention that there is a movement, or a school of thought, that says: Western classical music is bad — because it is racist, hegemonic, and so forth. This is apparently a going concern, including among professors of musicology!

Someone sent me an article headed “It’s Time to Let Classical Music Die” (here). I have two answers: “No.” And “You first.”


P.S. I often quote Charles Rosen, the late scholar-pianist, who said, “The death of classical music is perhaps the oldest tradition of classical music” — because, in every generation, people say, “This is it. Classical music is no more.” But it endures and endures, and always will.

Mind you, the “death of classical music” people have always been lamenters. Not until now, to my knowledge, have they been wishers.