musical genius

[Analyst]

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You are right Zeno, and I just wanted to say, that while I don't particulary like classical music, I still think those people you listed were very gifted.

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Nope, genius pure and simple, certainly in the cases of Mozart and Beethoven. You could try to say that Mozart was simply a prodigy, but he was one of the giants of the classical period and indeed helped to shape the very form of the music of that time. His ability, including such things as composing highly complex pieces virtually finished in his head, is almost unheard of.

Beethoven's work drove the transition from the Classical to the Romantic period. He wrote pieces of such scale and innovation as his 9th Symphony when he was deaf.

There's obviously a great deal more to be said in the support of Mozart's and Beethoven's genius, and that is why there are many biographies written about each of them.

These two composers, though not alone in the title, are virtually the definition of musical genius.

[craig r]

I can see why somebody would mention Kurt Cobain, but I am suprised that being from Washington you left off Sonic Youth. Sonic Youth, as well as Fugazi, might be the most influential bands to come out of the 80's and 90's. And even if one doesn't agree with their politics, what both bands did musically is amazing.

craig

[Reef]

I hope to baby Jesus that someone included Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach to name a few..

[astroglide]

i think sonic youth's influence is much further reaching than fugazi's but they owe a lot more upstream to people like the velvet underground. who else do you consider a direct descendant of fugazi besides atdi/mars volta/sparta? as far as ian mackaye's bands i think minor threat did more the fugazi in terms of INFLUENCE.

[ThaSaltCracka]

I don't know if this means anything, but nearly every rock band out now says Nirvana was the biggest influence upon them. To bad none of them can compare.

[craig r]

i guess that is true about fugazi. i was also thinking more along the lines of indy/punk/emo bands. not as much about bands that are "mainstream (though it is hard to tell the difference now with all the commericalism around punk and "indy."). I guess when I think of the most influential bands for those scenes, I think Fugazi, Rites of Spring, and Nation of Ulysses. One major influence that Fugazi has had is the "do it yourself" attitude.

[astroglide]

yeah the DIY thing you could stretch from fugazi/dischord to offspring/epitaph. the dc guys influencing each other seems to go without mentioning though.

[craig r]

I guess that is true, because a lot of these people are my age, and I was in 7th grade when Nirvana came out. But, in stuff that I read about Kurt Cobain, he was highly influenced by the punk/emo scene of Olympia/Seattle..particularly Sonic Youth. Which they were highly influenced by the scene in D.C. (which is where Fugazi is from).

craig

p.s. Even more "proof" of the influence of the washington scene on Kurt Cobain: Smells Like Teen Spirit was titled because of Kathleen Hannah's (formerly of Bikini Kill) writing on Kurt's wall. It said, "Kurt smells like teen spirit." [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[ThaSaltCracka]

Yeah, I think I remember hearing that. Seattle use to have an amazing underground scene, and I think Mudhoney was one of the bands that Kurt also really liked. Sonic Youth may have been influential, but compared to Nirvana, I mean damn, not even close.

[craig r]

I forgot to ask in a previous post. Why Minor Threat over Fugazi? It can't just be because of this new punk crap (i.e. good charlotte)..these guys don't get it at all.

craig