Even when I was in high school and had no idea I'd later want to become a classical music critic, I still paid attention to Phyllis Rosenblum's too-seldom-written classical columns in the Santa Cruz Sentinel. The content wasn't intended to be editorial in any way, nor did it strive for any type of thesis--its sole purpose was to alert people to the various classical concerts that were coming up in the county. It was little more than a comprehensive list with one- or two-sentence descriptors; nevertheless, I'm sure the unusually large crowd of classical music appreciators in Santa Cruz found the columns helpful.
Whether Rosenblum retired or was cut from the list of contributors due to the Sentinel's recent financial constraints *grumble grumble*, her newspaper column is no more. But thanks to the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, which began last week, we at least know she's still around and she still has something to do with the classical music scene. She spoke yesterday evening (d'oh! I'm a bad blogger!) as part of the festival's series of free talks.
The mere fact that she was there and that she supports contemporary classical music is promising to me. It means that the strange noises coming from the new wave of composers isn't lost on past generations who we picture as clinging on to their old Lizst LPs and denying that anything as good as that has happened since his era--and it also means the faces of Santa Cruz are clinging onto the genre for dear life, showing their support so that the beloved culture won't die out.
More about the festival: go to www.cabrillomusic.org
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