As recently as 20 or 25 years ago, there were not as many critics. Now The New York Times reviews pop culture that it would not have 20 years ago, and there's an incredible number of popular culture magazines that have critics. You see six or more reviews of something, and you feel you're drowning in different perspectives.
Many critics seem to consider 'early-musickers' a separate breed from 'modern practice' musicians.
Yet all that really separates us is the instruments we use. For today's young pianists, there is an exciting world of astonishing diversity out there waiting to be discovered, and it needs the biggest, most sensitive talents to realize its potential. The French distanced themselves from bread because they associated it not only with the great things about France, but also with poverty. For 15 years now I have gone out on bread tastings around Paris, and I throw away half the baguettes because they are grotesquely insipid. And I'm a reasonable man.