questions :)

[zenmaster126]

hi, i have only just started getting into classical music, i myself am a great fan of all music, mostly rock (i like all music as long a it has strong immotional content), but i have started to realy enjoy classical music due to the high emotional content, this is why my fave composer is Beethoven as i feel he created the most emotional classical music i have heard. My first question is, how did he compair to composers such as Bach and Mozart, I mean like acedemicaly, as this seems to be the only way people see it possible to judge composers from different eras, second, did Beethoven stick to the rules or did he bend/break some, and finaly how the holy hell did he compose with such poor hearing, his music is far to emotional to simply be the work of someone possesing a music teachers mentality (sorry, not all music teachers obviousley)

any help is apreaciated thanx

[lysander]

That the musically great men of history did possess far better than average intelligence is well established.
Their intelligence was estimated from evidence of the activities of which they were capable at various ages.

Bach's IQ was thought to lie between 125 and 140;
Beethoven's IQ between 135 and 140;
Mozart's IQ between 150 and 155.

Taken as a group, however, the musicians were among the lowest IQ of all the eminent men whose biographies have been studied.


These statistic need not be taken at face value, I personally do not think they are relevant.

They have all different tempraments, and were hardly epsilon minuses.

Beethoven tried to free himself form classical restraints and tried to shape a
whole new musical language.

I trust this is a little way helpful.


Lysander.

[zenmaster126]

yes that is very helpfull, im curious however to the relivance of the IQ obviousley intelligence is important, but it would be nice to know the IQ of some of todays great musicians, like Jeff Buckley or Billy Corgan to see just how relevant it is

[spaceray]

Beethoven must have been very discouraged when he could not perform or conduct anymore,he heard all the instruments in his memory and could produce incredible music without ever hearing a note of it.Amazing!

[John Rasmussen]

Not so amazing when you remember that he had spent his life in music; the instrumental sounds, ranges, and technical considerations were etched into his brain. He probably also had perfect pitch and so could construct, or reconstruct, any music in his mind.

As for rules, he himself said, "It is a good thing to know the rules in order to know what is contrary to them." His music reflects an intimate knowledge of music theory with a compulsion to experiment. But of course, any student can learn theory. It takes a Beethoven (Bach, Handel, Mozart, and all the others) to give music life.