Critic Donald Rosenberg of the Cleveland Plain Dealer knows more than just about anyone about the Cleveland Orchestra. He’s covered the orchestra for almost 30 years at two different papers; he’s written the definitive book on the ensemble. He’s the go-to guy on this particular Big Five orchestra.

And yesterday, his editor told him that he won’t be reviewing them anymore. Don will continue to review other ensembles in the city; another critic, Zachary Lewis, will take on the orchestra.

Why? Well, it’s well known that the management of the Cleveland Orchestra is intensely, and loudly, unhappy about Don’s frequent panning of the conducting of music director Franz Welser-Möst. Fans don’t like it when the orchestra doesn’t get good reviews. And Welser-Möst, who started in 2002, recently signed a renewal of his contract, to go to 2018.

I know and like Don, who is the former president of the Music Critics Association of North America. (Full disclosure: I’m on the board of MCANA.) His coverage is balanced and fair, and by no means entirely negative. It’s more than distressing that his paper isn’t standing behind him on this.

For an excellent overview of the subject, see Tim Smith’s (current president of MCANA) blog: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/classicalmusic/2008/09/critic_who_dared_criticize_cle.html