The high passion of lofty thought

[BachQ]

Yes.  The very act of using the "modest" we here is, in its own way, immodest.

We agree .......

[knight66]

http://www.alibris.com/search/books/qwork/9986197/used/Masters%20of%20Music%20-%20A%20Book%20for%20Lovers%20of%20Music

We think NOT.

Mike

[Symphonien]

http://www.alibris.com/search/books/qwork/9986197/used/Masters%20of%20Music%20-%20A%20Book%20for%20Lovers%20of%20Music

We think NOT.

Mike

Is this really you Sydney?

If so,

Contents Include - Modern Music - Purcell - Handel - Bach - Gluck - Haydn - Beethoven - Schubert - Weber - Mendelssohn - Schumann - Chopin Berlioz - Liszt

^does this mean that all composers after Liszt are "modern music"?

[Dancing Divertimentian]

We do not know how but Mr. [don]wyn is almost correct in his surmise. It was indeed Sean who we will not say recommended but rather brought for the first time to our attention the existence of this message-board.

Little escapes us...

[Keemun]

Is this really you Sydney?

THIS most certainly is.  It appears the "modest" plurality gimmick was not concocted solely for our pleasure.  To each his own....

[Dancing Divertimentian]

How do you encourage this [homo-sexualistic spirit]......in dead composers?

Yes, and in what circumstance would a heterosexual composer (of which there is an overwhelming majority) feel compelled to write a "homo-sexualistic" piece of music?

Even if an attempt were made how would he/she go about it not having the requisite blueprints?

[PSmith08]

Someone, somewhere is putting me on here. Like Hedonism Bot from Futurama, this post raises more questions with each reading subsequent to the initial "ha-ha-what-a-larf" one. For example,

What is 'homo-sexualistic' music? Music pertaining to homo-sexualists? [Aside: How do we define a 'homo-sexualist,' I can think of several determining criteria.] Of which, if that is the case, I dare warrant there is not much in the mainstream. There are plenty of interpretations in that direction to be found in the annals of Regietheater, but that's another can of beans.

What is a 'silly-names' brigade? People who use their confirmation names as a second middle name? I've always been put off by two or more middle names.

How is Shostakovich posturing? This one baffles me completely.

This post is an enigma wrapped in a puzzle coated in a riddle and dipped in strange pronoun anachronisms.

[Sydney Grew]

Yes, and in what circumstance would a heterosexual composer (of which there is an overwhelming majority) feel compelled to write a "homo-sexualistic" piece of music?

No, that word "overwhelming" is inappropriate and does not fit the case. The ratio of homo-sexualist composers to the others is we estimate something more like 42 per centum to 58 per centum. The majority can by no stretch of the imagination be described as overwhelming, and what is more it is diminishing daily.

There are several lists on the internet; here is one of the best: http://www.glbtq.com/arts/music_classical.html

But really this is material for a separate thread is it not? We shall start one eventually, if no one else does or has.

The present thread was intended we thought for: "INTRODUCTIONS: Are you new to GMG? Here is where you can introduce yourself and let us get to know each other better."

Well that is precisely what we did in the first message of the thread!

We are therefore quite puzzled and disconcerted that our introduction should so soon have been shunted to a separate section: "Discuss anything, music excepted." We come here to discuss music - and serious music at that! We have already made a few contributions to the thread about the music of Scryabine. Shunt some of the responses by all means, but we suspect some error of judgement - which it is perhaps not too late to rectify - has occurred in the shunting of our initial introduction.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

No, that word "overwhelming" is inappropriate and does not fit the case. The ratio of homo-sexualist composers to the others is we estimate something more like 42 per centum to 58 per centum. The majority can by no stretch of the imagination be described as overwhelming, and what is more it is diminishing daily.

You're pulling a rabbit out of the hat with those numbers. To wit:

There are several lists on the internet; here is one of the best: http://www.glbtq.com/arts/music_classical.html

This "article" has a big fat disclaimer:

The presence in music of people whom we would now identify as gay or lesbian in earlier periods is apparent primarily through contextual clues rather than hard evidence or explicit documentation, hence the identification of individuals as attracted to his or her own sex is sometimes highly controversial.

Loses what "authority" it might have had with that. Admirable, though...if only you could be as honest...

[btpaul674]

I've not chuckled so hard all day until I read this thread; most notably the post by PSmith08.

Seems like the high passion of lofty thought induces lofty laughter.

I can't wait to show this thread to my gay friends at school. Or should I say 'homo-sexualist' friends.

[btpaul674]

and really, this 'we' thing should have died with Sydney Grew back in the 40's.

[longears]

Best keep your distance; the voices in his their head might be looking for a new home.

[Hector]

http://www.alibris.com/search/books/qwork/9986197/used/Masters%20of%20Music%20-%20A%20Book%20for%20Lovers%20of%20Music

We think NOT.

Mike

Well found, or did you know already?

Like Greg I thought that we, that is us, had been here before.

I'm bored, already

[knight66]

When I say 'we' I did mean we in this instance. The credit goes to another Mod. The BBC folk seem to embrace him. What is regarded in England as endearing eccentricity; on this less parochial forum can be interpreted with less charity. The proof will be in the eating and we shall see what our new friend will contribute. I hope it will be an enrichment.

Mike

[greg]

No, that word "overwhelming" is inappropriate and does not fit the case. The ratio of homo-sexualist composers to the others is we estimate something more like 42 per centum to 58 per centum. The majority can by no stretch of the imagination be described as overwhelming, and what is more it is diminishing daily.

There are several lists on the internet; here is one of the best: http://www.glbtq.com/arts/music_classical.html

One of the most famous of the Baroque composers is George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)--best known for Messiah and the Music for the Royal Fireworks. He left tantalizing clues suggesting his same-sex sexual orientation. Still a controversial claim, the gist of the argument is that Handel apparently never slept with women, so he must have slept with men.

oh, because Handel "apparently never slept with women, he must have slept with men"..... this is funny. Why can't he either be a) asexual or b) some dude that just never gets any? He doesn't look like someone who'd have tons of ladies crawling all over him- plus, all he ever did was travel and write music...

[longears]

When I say 'we' I did mean we in this instance. The credit goes to another Mod. The BBC folk seem to embrace him. What is regarded in England as endearing eccentricity; on this less parochial forum can be interpreted with less charity. The proof will be in the eating and we shall see what our new friend will contribute. I hope it will be an enrichment.

I hope so, too, Mike...though the affectation certainly puts the emphasis on him and not his thoughts, thus doesn't bode well unless he's creating a character for our amusement.  I'm hard pressed to think of a pompous egomaniac whose contributions offer anything of real substance or merit. 

On second thought, I take that back.  One just popped into mind. 

[knight66]

On second thought, I take that back.  One just popped into mind. 

You are ahead of me here....oh, no; I take that back!

Mike

[greg]

i'm looking forward to the Grew show every day..... sure to be more ridiculous than Jerry Springer 

[longears]

You are ahead of me here....oh, no; I take that back!

[PSmith08]

Now I know what a 'homo-sexualist' is!

It's someone who could have been a homosexual, though it's impossible to tell, especially if you play around with the facts of their life and say that context is king.

Wishful thinking does not a homosexual make.