Music Needs No Divisive Walls

It is ironic that on the page following John Mauceri’s excellent Counterpunch about the definition of American music (“Trying to Define What Is American Music,” Aug. 21) was a review of a John Williams concert at the Hollywood Bowl, which bemoans the lack of film music that is played at the Bowl by other “home-grown” film composers. Your critic, Josef Woodard, obviously failed to notice that the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra is giving a concert of film music by many other composers in September, as it has done on so many occasions in the past.

It is sad that your critics continually seem to overlook the extraordinary and adventurous programming of Mauceri and his orchestra, who are champions for the music of Hollywood and Broadway. American music! Perhaps it’s time for them to climb down from their ivory thrones and break down the walls they have built between popular and serious music.

Is Richard Rodgers’ glorious “Carousel Waltz” any less significant than a waltz by Strauss--Johann or Richard? I don’t think so.

IAN FRASER

Hollywood