Reply #56: I've always found

[curse10]

American composers to be cheap imitations of their european counterparts.

In the 18th century there was an American composer (which I've managed to forget the name of, and all my musicology books are in storage) that we were forced to study. It was infantile music. Literally a 100 years behind what was going on in Europe. And yet I was expected to take his music seriously?

I think American music is simple. It's not very complex. Take Copland. He doesn't really stretch the boundaries of music. I think he's boring. He uses fairly simple chord structures (open fifths isn't some sort of musical revelation we should be heralding).

I once sat through a Copland opera (The Heartland). It was the worst musical experience of my life.

And, from a playing stand point, American music is just not fun to play. (I play the viola). I've played numerous pieces by Copland, Bernstein, Cage, and others and it just isn't worthwhile.

Now, I have played orchestral pieces by Ellington and Porter and the likes, but that's a different sort of music. Jazz is different. I'm talking "classical" here.

Most music scholars would disagree with me, but, again, it's my own opinion. And, really, it's more of a gut reaction against it.