Composers' Dirty Laundry

[Catison]

But who cares about homosexuality per se?  I realize that was considered shameful in a past age, but don't most of us today recognize people's sexuality as their private business--whether straight, gay, or in-between--as long as they don't violate the rights of others? 

One view is that we are each isolated from one another so what happens in private stays a personal matter.  Another view, however, is that we are all interconnected in some way so that even private actions effect everyone.

[snyprrr]

snyprrr's going to remind us that he started this topic every page, now

duly noted

[Sorin Eushayson]

...cousin marrying...

That would be Grieg.  Not necessarily all that dirty though, especially considering it didn't have such a negative stigma attached to it then and there.

[snyprrr]

I recall a story about Copland and "?" walking a campus, when some hunk walks by and Copland says, "There goes my fourth symphony." Ha.

[The Six]

What's with all the gay 20th century American composers?

[snyprrr]

Some people have opined here concerning...um, how to say...a composer's person CAN'T get into the music, I mean, how can you tell the composer's person from his music?, and many have said that this isn't possible.

But then I realized that in pop music this definitely holds true, and I came up with some admittedly stereotypical examples: Scorpions vs. Peter Gabriel. Please give me a smidge of leeway, but it is most evident by the former's music AND lyrics (backed up by interviews) what they're all about (I was going to use AC/DC). I mean, just in general, this brand of metal is pretty dumb (post Uli Roth) and there are no bones about the guys' general aim. Perhaps Guns n Roses or Eminem might have been an example, but I hope you get my general drift.

On the other hand, Peter Gabriel has always come off, if nothing else, as Mr. Sincerity, and this too comes out in his words and music and interviews.

I know metal heads who just won't go near a band if the band's "integrity" doesn't match these fans' high standards. And believe it or not, many metal heads have morals (most real metal bands don't sing about p****).

So, I guess my question is, How can this art/morals thing be so obvious here, but not obvious in the classical world?

I know no one's perfect, so, like I said, give the argument room. Is there a point here, or no?

btw- that Britten thing reminded me of the main bad guy in the movie "Rope"...but judging from any lack of follow up, people have sided with Britten and want to drop the issue. I get the feeling that if I don't take Britten's side, people will judge and ignore me. I just like the unvarnished truth, whatever it may be. The truth doesn't HAVE to be ugly, it's just that it usually is?

[snyprrr]

What's with all the gay 20th century American composers?

Paris in the 20s?

New York?

and no, they're not ALL Jewish, either, ha!

uh...ARE they???

[Teresa]

Grainger... Wikipedia seems to have a somewhat censored mention of it.

Interesting: Grainger was a vegetarian who was not particularly fond of vegetables, and lived variously on nuts, boiled rice, wheatcakes, cakes, bread and jam, ice cream and oranges.

All my favorites, too.  But I also love all kinds of fruits, macrioni and cheese, chips, popcorn, and candy.  I tried to be a vegetarian for a while but I wasn't crazy about most vegetables.   I like corn, lima beans but only with ham and black-eyed peas with bacon or ham hock and dry salad with salt and pepper.  So since I don't like lima beans or black-eyed peas without meat I was left with only corn and dry salad.  So I called myself, a pastatarian.

I now eat meat occasionally, but I do feel guilty about it.  Today for breakfast I had Captian Crunch and for Dinner I had a big bowl of rice with just butter, salt and pepper in it and Fruit Juice for my drink.  Yes I know butter comes from a cow, but the cow didn't have to die to give it to me.  My reason for eating as little meat as possible has nothing to do with heath reasons, but because I feel bad any time an animal has to die just so I can eat.  But products that come out of living animals such as milk, butter and cheese I have no dilemma with.   I think I can identify with this single trait of Percy Grainger's, the other ones are kinda weird.

[Teresa]

Is clean laundry still laundry, or just cloths?

It's clean laundry until it is put away and then it is clothes.

[snyprrr]

I made a lovely bowl of carbonara.

 I think I can identify with this single trait of Percy Grainger's, the other ones are kinda weird.

[The Six]

but because I feel bad any time an animal has to die just so I can eat. 

And yet, the lion feels nothing but quenched hunger when it kills for food.

Oh, this human sympathy, what it does to us.

[Teresa]

And yet, the lion feels nothing but quenched hunger when it kills for food.

Oh, this human sympathy, what it does to us.

When I was a little girl I thought we only ate animals after they died of old age.  And then I found out the meat would be no good and the animal had to be killed in their prime.  I was shocked when I found out humans actually killed animals.  Now in old age I still have a problem with it, if they would have just let me go on believing we only ate animals who died naturally I might have a better feeling about eating meat.

I am not a lion, I think humans should be further evolved than that!

[DavidRoss]

I now eat meat occasionally, but I do feel guilty about it. 

But not about killing vegetables to eat them?  Or eating the unborn fetuses and placentas of fruit-bearing plants?

[The Six]

When I was a little girl I thought we only ate animals after they died of old age.  And then I found out the meat would be no good and the animal had to be killed in their prime.  I was shocked when I found out humans actually killed animals.  Now in old age I still have a problem with it, if they would have just let me go on believing we only ate animals who died naturally I might have a better feeling about eating meat.

I am not a lion, I think humans should be further evolved than that!

Basically everything exists only to eat, poop, hump, and be eaten. Humans evolved enough to do other stuff.

[DavidRoss]

Basically everything exists only to eat, poop, hump, and be eaten. Humans evolved enough to do other stuff.

Like belch and hunt for the remote control.

[snyprrr]

ok, I will attempt veering this back on topic: MOST GLUTANEOUS COMPOSER? worst smelling composer? MOST INSATIABLE? wimpiest? COMPOSER MOST LIKELY TO GET INTO A SCUFFLE? composer with the biggest...

evolved, yes...highly!
Nothing sacred on this thread, that's for sure.

[Florestan]

ok, I will attempt veering this back on topic: MOST GLUTANEOUS COMPOSER? worst smelling composer? MOST INSATIABLE? wimpiest? COMPOSER MOST LIKELY TO GET INTO A SCUFFLE? composer with the biggest...

evolved, yes...highly!
Nothing sacred on this thread, that's for sure.

You're nuts, aren't you? 

[Todd]

Can't answer them all, but I can take a stab at two.

worst smelling composer?

Harry Partch.

COMPOSER MOST LIKELY TO GET INTO A SCUFFLE?

Harry Partch.

[matti]

MOST GLUTANEOUS COMPOSER?.

Rossini?

[Lethevich]

Fattest composer might be Dussek, whose weight was legendary. Perhaps rivaled by Scarlatti (towards the end of his life, just as Dussek), who reputedly could not cross his arms to play certain harpsichord sections, due to his bulk.