Refreshing Reports

Your new music critic, Mark Swed, is one of the best in the country. He is--unlike most music critics I have read--knowledgeable about and sympathetic toward the 20th century repertoire. It was interesting to read his reviews of the recent Ojai Festival. Mr. Swed did point out several problems such as the poor acoustics and the bright sun, but he emphasized what was most significant . . . that the performances were inspired and magical. We are quickly approaching the 21st century, and the bemoaning of the “agony of modern music” is surely an anachronism. No other art form has critics who are so antagonistic to the creative output of our own time. This is especially true of American music critics.

Mr. Swed is a most refreshing exception.

CHRIS ROZE

Los Angeles