Claudia Cassidy

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Claudia Cassidy (1899–1996), born in Shawneetown, Illinois, was a music, dance, and drama critic. She was well-known for giving rather harsh reviews to what she considered bad performances. However, her judgment, which was regarded as extremely controversial even in her heyday, has been seriously doubted by more recent critics. She was unfailingly critical of the great Czech conductor Rafael Kubelík, described Janáček's orchestral work Taras Bulba as "trash" and even called Bartók's classic Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta a "potboiler". Many people, have praised her as a great influence on the arts. Indeed, the Claudia Cassidy Theater in Chicago has been named in her honor.

Until 1965, her career mainly consisted of reviewing performances for the Chicago Tribune , after which, while she continued to write for the Tribune, she also contributed to Chicago Magazine and made radio programs for WFMT.

[edit] Books

Cassidy, Claudia, Europe on the Aisle, New York: Random Hoouse, 1954
Cassidy, Claudia, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago IL: Lyric Opera of Chicago, 1979 ISBN 0960353801