Cloth-eared critics

[Maclintick]

I think it was Franz Reizenstein who, in response to a critic who had reviewed one of his compositions with less-than-wholehearted enthusiasm, if not downright condemnation, wrote a personal note to the offender which read:

"Sir, I am sitting in the smallest room of my house. Your review is before me -- shortly it will be behind me."

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

- usually attributed to Max Reger, Maclintick.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Has anyone mentioned Cui - one of the Russian Five (Mighty Handful) composers? He is best known for his work as a critic, lambasting premieres of composers rather better than himself, especially Tchaikovsky.

[ahinton]

- usually attributed to Max Reger, Maclintick.

Indeed so!

[Maclintick]

- usually attributed to Max Reger, Maclintick.

Yes, indeed. I wasn't sure. Thanks for correct attribution, FHG

[LeMartinPecheur]

Has anyone mentioned Cui - one of the Russian Five (Mighty Handful) composers? He is best known for his work as a critic, lambasting premieres of composers rather better than himself, especially Tchaikovsky.

I recently came across a probably related bit of artillery barrage between St Petersburg ('Mighty Handful') and Moscow (main target Tchaikovsky) when writing programme notes on Arensky's 1st piano trio. Arensky studied at the St P conservatory under Rimsky-Korsakov, becoming a star pupil and prizewinner. He then took an academic post in Moscow and quickly became a close friend of the Handful's arch-enemy Peter Tchaikovsky.

R-K's later dispassionate summation: “In his youth Arensky did not escape some influence from me; later the influence came from Tchaikovsky. He will quickly be forgotten.”

[Serial_Apologist]

I remember reading somewhere of Saint-Saens' summation of Franck's Symphony as "Impotence, carried to the point of dogma"!