Who is the greatest living classical musician today?

[Saul]

Does he exist?

[Sid]

I don't know...

[Brian]

Charles Mackerras darn. 

[alkan]

For me, considering what he has achieved so far as a solist and conductor, not to mention efforts for peace (E-W Divan orchestra) ....... it's Daniel Barenboim

[jhar26]

Martha Argerich 

[MN Dave]

Does he exist?

He?

[Josquin des Prez]

Nikolai Kapustin gets my vote.  Its like Scarlatti meets Bach meets Oscar Peterson. Never been so exited about a composer in a long time.

[Josquin des Prez]

He?

Women can't compose for crap.

[Bulldog]

Women can't compose for crap.

They can compose for me anytime.  Besides, the greatest living musician doesn't have to be a composer.  I'll go with jhar26's pick - Argerich.

JdP - I see you're still going strong in maintaining your status as our resident woman-hater.

[False_Dmitry]

Women can't compose for crap.

Nicola le Fanu, Judith Weir, Irina Belova...

[karlhenning]

Women can't compose for crap.

No; the correct response is: The pronoun he is used when the gender is unknown or irrelevant.

[MN Dave]

No; the correct response is: The pronoun he iscan be used when the gender is unknown or irrelevant.

Or they.

[karlhenning]

They is plural, though.

[MN Dave]

They is plural, though.

Not always.

[False_Dmitry]

They is plural, though.

You said it was irrelevant who they were.

[MN Dave]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singular_they 

[karlhenning]

Interesting, thanks.

Generic he is still current English usage, though the gender neutral language movement discourages this use.

Even their citation of historical "use" is unconvincing.

First:  Because they cite so few historical exanples (two is awfully few).

Second:  The Shakespeare example is not much use;  English grammar in the Elizabethan era was still "up for grabs," and there is 'documented usage' which is simply wrong, against later standardized grammar.  If you like, witness the fact that Shakespeare spelled his own name differently at different times;  at the time, the mindset towards the language was different.

Third:  The Thackeray example is not much use, either: it is a quotation of a character.  Doesn't necessarily mean that Thackeray "demonstrates" that it is correct usage; could be an idiosyncracy of that character.  Otherwise, of course, one might point to countless examples of poor grammar and dialiectical spelling in the characters of Dickens, as "demonstrations" that they are equally "correct" grammatically and orthographically.

Fourth:  These two slender examples are the only references given in an article which asserts:

Though singular they is widespread in everyday English and has a long history of usage . . . .

If the thesis were not driven by ideology, the writers would own that this is deceptive 'documentation'.

[zamyrabyrd]

Martha Argerich 

All honor to Argerich's past career. Quite frankly, I think she bangs most of the time these days. Her recent playing of the Schumann Concerto was simply brutal--such an approach may have been OK for the Prokofiev 3rd PC back then.  One can compare with Myra Hess, another grande dame, who simply made the keyboard melt, not sound like a percussive instrument in that particular work.

Martha's pairing up with that other Japanese lady doing Mozart piano duets on 9 foot grands has a volume and aggressiveness that could have terrified W Amadeus. It's like the two of them are competing as to who can play the loudest--not my taste at all.

ZB

[False_Dmitry]

If the thesis were not driven by ideology, the writers would own that this is deceptive 'documentation'.

You've been proven WRONG, Henning.  You'd spell that WR O NG .  Now learn some manners for once in your damn life and stop hijacking this thread.

[Henk]

Nikolai Kapustin gets my vote.  Its like Scarlatti meets Bach meets Oscar Peterson. Never been so exited about a composer in a long time.

Nice vote. I never play jazz anymore, but Kapustin stays fine. I´m listening to Kapustin right now and still like it. It's good stuff. I hope Kapustin (and Nancarrow) will inspire jazz musicians, jazz needs to be composed too!

Henk