Music: Classical

1. Alex Ross
The New Yorker
Classical-music critic for The New Yorker; runs a heavily trafficked blog, The Rest Is Noise; served as a critic for The New York Times from 1992 to 1996.

“Our most generous, high-minded and serious critic. Rich and elegant style, admirable breadth of vision, though not invulnerable to fashion, and not even his most admiring supporter can claim he has much appreciation of the shape and architecture, rather than the texture and sound, of a piece.”…“Writes well, can’t hear, knows little.”…“Brilliant mind, fair critic and passionate advocate. Exqui-sitely well informed and up-to-date. Wish he reviewed more performances.”

2. Peter G. Davis
New York
Long-serving classical-music critic for New York; published The American Opera Singer in 1997; former contributor to The New York Times; writes for MusicalAmerica.com.

“Likable style. Not the one to go for if you want the newest or more obscure offerings.”…“Undervalued. Never afraid to say what he feels or means.”…“A thorough, elegant and moderate mind, using the generous length of his magazine features to explore subjects in depth—which is good, as years ago he could be capable of the most deliberate partisan misjudgments.”

3. Allan Kozinn
The New York Times
A classical-music critic for the Times, whose staff he joined in 1991; first music critic of The New York Observer; serves on the faculty of New York University.

“Serious, sober, generous and broad-minded.It’s a shame that his undistinguished prose style has kept more readers from appreciating his genuine insights.”…“Good as he is, I really don’t think he or any of these critics have much influence.”…“Should never be allowed to review vocal music or opera, of which he knows zero.”

4. Justin Davidson
Newsday
On staff at Newsday since 1996; won a Pulitzer Prize in 2002; recently began writing about architecture for the paper.

“Very good prose stylist, usually very fair and unbiased. Somewhat glib.”…“Witty, earthy prose expressing an engaged and generous but circumscribed mind. Overvalues responsiveness, rather than preparedness, in approaching his work.”…“He seems fond of getting his kicks from denouncing successful composers.”

5. Bernard Holland
The New York Times
A classical critic for the Times; served as the paper’s chief critic from 1995 to 2000.

“Provides readers with unwanted insight into his own self-loathing rather than the events he attends.”…“I like his abstract writing, though others complain about it. Makes points and finds connections that often seem right on.”…“One of the two real culture critics writing in New York (the other being Ross). Better on older and abstract music than on contemporary or dramatic scores.”

6. Martin Bernheimer
Financial Times
Covers New York’s music scene for the Financial Times; won a Pulitzer Prize in 1982; after working at the New York Herald Tribune, Saturday Review and New York Post, became chief music and dance critic at the Los Angeles Times in 1965, a position he held through 1996.

“Knows his stuff and has been around long enough to make vital comparisons. The sarcasm can be cruel but usually is well aimed. I read him with interest.”… “A monster.”…“Is all that smarm necessary?”

7. Anne Midgette
The New York Times
A classical-music critic for the Times; has also contributed to Opera News and The Wall Street Journal; coauthored Herbert Breslin’s 2004 memoir about managing Luciano Pavarotti.

“Her tone is condescending and patronizing. Why such an attitude?”…”A mean-spirited, deeply biased menace.“

8. Anthony Tommasini
The New York Times
The Times’ chief classical critic since 2000; wrote a biography of composer Virgil Thomson; recorded two discs of Thomson’s piano music.

“Shameless shill for the press machines and institutions and his favorite artists.”…“A great journalist; easy to follow, makes his points lucidly. A better reporter than critic, though. His knowledge is limited.”…“Nobody in the music world pays any attention to what he thinks.”

9. Jay Nordlinger
The New York Sun
A classical-music critic for the Sun; covers music for the National Review and The New Criterion.

“Good ears, amateurish and pedantic writing. But who reads the Sun?”…“Nice person,  good writer, too. A bit on the conservative side.”

TONY’s own

Steve Smith
Classical editor since 2001; frequent contributor to The New York Times.

“A fresh, open and fair voice with -respect and empathy for performers. A good, clear prose stylist.”…“Vivid, generous, eclec-tic and thoughtful, with an ever more elegant and involving style.”…“He loves music and you can tell in his writing. We need more writers who can write in depth about anything—not just piano music or opera.”