Not a Soul Man

Was Stravinsky the composer of the 20th century? No. Chris Pasles’ Feb. 25 article features typically intellectual viewpoints. But as with any great art, an era’s lasting music proves itself to the soul. By that standard, better candidates would be Rachmaninoff, Sibelius or Vaughan Williams. Or if the standard is to be soul plus representative Modernism, then Prokofiev is a more likely choice.

Like Bartok, Stravinsky will very probably continue to be well-admired and considered “relevant,” but will his artistic truth--broadly and deeply firing the human soul like, say, Bach--be even as enduring as it was last century?

LEONARD ZANE

Sierra Madre