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A popular theater critic in New York (who I won’t name because he names himself enough for three people) recently bragged that he never changed any reviews (and by suggestion, any opinions) and that he has a sort of “bad list”: anyone on it never gets off. His fury is currently aimed at Julie Taymor and Spiderman: the Disastrical. She and the show are easy--and obvious--targets, but that has never stopped him. I only mention this in the context of a review I put on another site (also in no need of my help) where I realized I had written a poor review in a few paragraphs which did not quite give an accurate picture of my thoughts. So I changed it. The only reviewer I can remember changing his opinion, and then publishing it, was Andrew Porter. He is one of my idols. For decades he wrote for The New Yorker and went out of his way to learn something about a piece of music before he made judgments about it. Of course, that is not always possible, but it was more often than you would think. And he was not afraid to say negative things about famous performers who (he felt) were not giving the highest levels of musicianship. However, he did champion young singers and instrumentalists long before others. You can read many of his scholarly reviews--last century’s blogs--in book form. If you are very serious about classical music of all kinds, he is worth a read. If nothing else, you might learn about some composers you’ve never heard of. I did. And the review I changed? It was about John Adams’ Doctor Atomic. Now, mind you, I didn’t really change how I felt as much as reconsider what my feelings meant. But if or when I do change my mind about anything I’ve written here, expect me to say so. But not about Julie Taymor whose work I find can be fascinating...or horrible. (And why mention her any more than I already have? Her ego’s big enough as well.) Well...Ben Brantley does occasionally change his tune, but he always blames someone or something else for the first impressions (Just wrong the first time? Never!) So he doesn't count.
