Former chair Ian Bent once wrote to Jonathan extolling his "splendid colleague"-ship and the "energy and enterprise" that he put into the department. The chair's job is made immeasurably easier by people like Jonathan. More poignant is the wonderful paragraph that concluded the department's case statement for Jonathan's appointment, written by Leeman Perkins in 1989 when Jon was 46: "Happily, Prof. Kramer has received his present distinction relatively early in life. He is still a rather young man whose energy and commitment promise a good deal of productive scholarship yet to come. It would appear that he will be a major force in shaping the discipline of music theory over the next couple of decades, defining the issues and problems to be addressed, refining its methods, and thus determining the directions for scholarship in the field. From the point of view of this department, Columbia would be fortunate indeed to be able to add him to its roster of scholar-teachers." I still feel the same way about Jonathan: A rather young man. Productive scholarship. (indeed, yet to come: the just-completed book on postmodernism.) A major force. Fortunate indeed the Music department. And now, bereft.     New York City, 6/6/04     1  2   previous