Golijov Revisited – Part One

Why I took down my original posts about Sidereus

I wrote two pieces at the outset of the Golijov “Sidereus Affair.” I took these two pieces down. This caused some concern from other journalists who had written about the topic and referenced my original two pieces.

I took the two pieces down because there was a total lack of understanding about my involvement — and without a broader context that caused Brian McWhorter and me to attend the original concert of the Eugene Symphony  in Sidereus, a composition presented as if it were composer by Osvaldo Golijov – but was actually the work of Michael Ward-Bergeman.

The real story for me was not only about Golijov. The stream of related events that include the ESO concert in which McWhorter and I heard Sidereus, began a few days earlier with the suicide of my brother Michael Manoff.

It is impossible for me to separate the Golijov events from my brother’s death. I offer here more context for those who care to read it. You may wish to get caught up on the extensive comprehensive articles about Golijov and the Sidereus Affair directly below.

Recap of the Extensive Coverage of the Sidereus Affair

Bob Keefer

Bob Keefer, Register Guard, Composer’s originality questioned by critics

Composer’s borrowing challenged in second work

Composer’s borrowing act lands on deaf ears

Anne Midgette

Anne Midgette, Washington Post

From pastiche to appropriation: Goiljov and “Sidereus”

Among the various astute observations in this piece by Anne Midgette, she points out that Golijov’s style is a type of pastiche. I agree. And while I was enthusiastic about Golijov’s “La Pasión Según San Marcos” (2001), Midgette heard immediately that the work lacked real substance, if one accepts that mere pastiche isn’t great music. I will write more on this later, but with the “La Pasión Según San Marcos,” I was taken in by some of it. Now I realize that I ignored some of the warning signs about inferior music. Midgette had it. I did not. I will write more about Midgette’s views on Golijov in another section of this piece.

Alex Ross

Alex Ross, New Yorker

The Golijov Issue: Borrowed Music, or stolen?

The Golijov Issue: Borrowed Music, or Stolen?

Ross agreed with me: “To put it bluntly, Sidereus is Barbeich with additional material attached.”

Ross has been a Golijov supporter throughout recent years. I will discuss that support from my stance on Golijov in another part of this piece.

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