What happens when a critic is so overwhelmed by a pianist that he reaches for storms, devils, fireworks, and dancing skeletons?

In this episode of The Musical Archeologist, Craig Dabelstein returns to Oscar Comettant's 1874 portrait of Francis Planté to explore a lost style of music criticism: extravagant, comic, passionate, and deeply attentive. Nineteenth-century critics may have written with glorious excess, but they were trying to describe what actually happened in the music.

This episode reflects on criticism as a form of musical attention — not mere judgement, not polite publicity, but listening turned into language.

Written and presented by Craig Dabelstein.

Music composed by Jeffrey A. Young.

Based on Oscar Comettant's Francis Planté: Portrait musical à la plume.

Podcast webpage: https://craigdabelstein.com/podcast/

Buy the book: https://books.by/maximes-music

Craig Dabelstein: https://craigdabelstein.com/

Maxime's Music: https://www.maximesmusic.com/

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@maximes-music