Sunday, November 19, 2006

Like many Times Calendar readers, I was saddened to hear of the death of Daniel Cariaga. A week or two ago, Mark Swed wrote a kind and moving tribute to Cariaga. But after reading this weekend's "Of Sound and Vision" about Segerstrom Hall, I was reminded that there is one important trait that Swed never did, and never will, learn from Cariaga's example.

Under the leadership of Swed at the Times, hundreds of talented musical performers and thousands of music lovers throughout Southern California know the ground rules: if you are not the L.A. Philharmonic or the L.A. Master Chorale, you are simply not worthy of respect, praise, or validation. This is widely known among members and audiences of the Pacific Symphony, the Pacific Chorale, the Angeles Chorale, the Pasadena Symphony, the Long Beach Symphony orchestra, and all the other "secondary" ensembles in the huge Southern California area.

Once again the Times lavishes acres of newsprint on Swed's wandering whines, this time about the new Segerstrom hall. Now I haven't been down there and heard for myself, and he may or may not be right about it. But I'm sure lots of good folks in Orange County let out a groan, knowing that this is simply something that was to be expected — sooner or later, and usually always sooner, the Times returns to its standard position of raining on anything that isn't in or about Disney Hall.

Daniel Cariaga was never such a snob, but supportive of talent, effort, ambition, and quality wherever he found it. How sad that he is gone.

Les Brockmann

Los Angeles