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Great musicians and funny deficiencies?
Topic Started: Oct 12 2006, 07:03 PM (236 Views)
CrashTest
Pisa-Carp
Does anyone know of any famous composers or musicians, whom have had interesting deficiencies for their field?

For example, I heard John Cage did not have much of an ear - and Beethoven was not very good at fugal writing in his earlier days. (In his early 20's in fact, there are examples of his counterpoint work with numerous corrections by Haydn!)
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kenny
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CrashTest
Oct 12 2006, 07:03 PM
Those anyone know of any famous composers or musicians, whom have had interesting deficiencies for their field?

For example, I heard John Cage did not have much of an ear - and Beethoven was not very good at fugal writing in his earlier days. (In his early 20's in fact, there are examples of his counterpoint work with numerous corrections by Haydn!)

Small penis Crash?
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LadyElton
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kenny
Oct 12 2006, 11:04 PM
CrashTest
Oct 12 2006, 07:03 PM
Those anyone know of any famous composers or musicians, whom have had interesting deficiencies for their field?

    For example, I heard John Cage did not have much of an ear - and Beethoven was not very good at fugal writing in his earlier days. (In his early 20's in fact, there are examples of his counterpoint work with numerous corrections by Haydn!)

Small penis Crash?

:blink:
Hilary aka LadyElton
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CrashTest
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HOHOHO
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Dave Spelvin
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Handless. Paul Wittgenstein was a left-handed pianist after he lost his right in WWI. Some composers you may have heard of wrote left-hand only works and dedicated them to him. His brother was Ludwig Wittgenstein, the philosopher, who was impenetrable. Paul had to overcome him too.

Deafness. Forget about Beethoven's fugal writing, the man was deaf later in life. That would appear to be the ultimate deficiency for a musician. As it is, he wrote the late quartets. I understand that if he hadn't gone deaf, his next project was a third stream jazz work with Paul Whiteman's band. Such a shame that never happened. Tragic, really.

Death. Schubert only made it to 31. Let's be clear about this: one cannot write music when one is dead. This guy did an awful lot of scribbling to die so young and still have written more music than I will ever listen to. Come to think of it, even his short works feel like they go on forever. Perhaps if he hadn't written all those repeats he would have lived to 62, and there'd be that much more music I wouldn't listen to.

Taste. Barry Manilow has none. It was shot off in the war. For most, this would be considered a deficiency. Nevertheless, the man who writes the songs that makes the whole world vomit made, and continues to make, more money than all classical composers, living or dead, combined. Mozart occasionally rubbed a couple of coins together. Manilow could rub two yachts together but he cannot write anything I want to hear. Mandy, you came and you gave without taking...

Blindness. Art Tatum, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Blind Lemon Pledge. Their ears were (or are) fine, but someone had to walk them to the piano. Have you tried playing like Art Tatum with your eyes closed? How about with your eyes open? These guys overcame this deficiency in a big way. Do you have Blind Lemon's recording of "Use a Coaster"? It's a keeper.
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Ben
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(that means yes :D)
- Ben

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Or you can just PM me. :P
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ivorythumper
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Dave Spelvin
Oct 12 2006, 08:28 PM
Nevertheless, the man who writes the songs that makes the whole world vomit made, and continues to make, more money than all classical composers, living or dead, combined. Mozart occasionally rubbed a couple of coins together. Manilow could rub two yachts together but he cannot write anything I want to hear. Mandy, you came and you gave without taking...

I don't think Manilow wrote either "Mandy" (Scott English) or "I Write the Songs" (Bruce Johnston).

But it is enough of a crime against humanity that he recorded them.
The dogma lives loudly within me.
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pianojerome
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Smetena went completely deaf while composing "Moldau" (from Ma Vlast).

(Probably he was going deaf before that, too... but by the time he finished the Moldau, he couldn't hear a thing.)
Sam
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bachophile
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bach had 20 children.

think how much more he could have composed if he wasnt busy porking maria barbara and anna magdelena.
"I don't know much about classical music. For years I thought the Goldberg Variations were something Mr. and Mrs. Goldberg did on their wedding night." Woody Allen
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ivorythumper
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I am so adjective that I verb nouns!
No list of musicians with physical oddities would be complete without these guys.
The dogma lives loudly within me.
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George K
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Finally
ivorythumper
Oct 13 2006, 12:16 AM
I don't think Manilow wrote ....."I Write the Songs" (Bruce Johnston).

Correct, IT. Bruce Johnston is now touring with the Beach Boys (drummer, I believe). I saw them about 4 years ago, and he was introduced as "The Only Grammy Award Winning Beach Boy." He won it for that song. He wrote the song that the world thinks Barry Manilow wrote.

Wiki on Bruce Johnston: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Johnston
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Mikhailoh
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From Dave Spelvin:
'Blind Lemon Pledge...
:lol2: :lol2: :lol2:
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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Dave Spelvin
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ivorythumper
Oct 12 2006, 09:16 PM
Dave Spelvin
Oct 12 2006, 08:28 PM
Nevertheless, the man who writes the songs that makes the whole world vomit made, and continues to make, more money than all classical composers, living or dead, combined. Mozart occasionally rubbed a couple of coins together. Manilow could rub two yachts together but he cannot write anything I want to hear. Mandy, you came and you gave without taking...

I don't think Manilow wrote either "Mandy" (Scott English) or "I Write the Songs" (Bruce Johnston).

But it is enough of a crime against humanity that he recorded them.

Thanks for the correction. I didn't know Scott English. Now I can dislike him intensely. As for Bruce Johnston, I used to think he was harmless. Now I know better.
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TomK
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Dave Spelvin
Oct 12 2006, 11:28 PM
Handless. Paul Wittgenstein was a left-handed pianist after he lost his right in WWI

Ravel wrote a beautiful piano sonata for him. Can't beat that.
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TomK
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Dave Spelvin
Oct 12 2006, 11:28 PM
Taste. Barry Manilow has none. It was shot off in the war. For most, this would be considered a deficiency. Nevertheless, the man who writes the songs that makes the whole world vomit made, and continues to make, more money than all classical composers, living or dead, combined.

Interesting point on BM :lol:. (Couldn't resist the joke. :()

I do a Thursday night gig at a local very hip college bar (a boy and his guitar,) and every now and then I do a couple of 70's and 80's bombs like "Johnny Don't Be a Hero," "Dancing Queen" and "Torn Between Two Lovers," but nothing gets a standing ovation like "Mandy."

Great Song.
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Dave Spelvin
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TomK
Oct 13 2006, 06:07 AM
Dave Spelvin
Oct 12 2006, 11:28 PM
Taste. Barry Manilow has none. It was shot off in the war. For most, this would be considered a deficiency. Nevertheless, the man who writes the songs that makes the whole world vomit made, and continues to make, more money than all classical composers, living or dead, combined.

Interesting point on BM :lol:. (Couldn't resist the joke. :()

I do a Thursday night gig at a local very hip college bar (a boy and his guitar,) and every now and then I do a couple of 70's and 80's bombs like "Johnny Don't Be a Hero," "Dancing Queen" and "Torn Between Two Lovers," but nothing gets a standing ovation like "Mandy."

Great Song.

Do you mean "Billy don't be a hero, don't be a fool with your life"? Who's Johnny?
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TomK
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Dave Spelvin
Oct 13 2006, 10:19 AM

Do you mean "Billy don't be a hero, don't be a fool with your life"? Who's Johnny?

Billy,

Posting while working. I was thinking of When Johnny Comes Marching Home. Another song. Sorry!
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Dave Spelvin
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TomK
Oct 13 2006, 05:59 AM
Dave Spelvin
Oct 12 2006, 11:28 PM
Handless. Paul Wittgenstein was a left-handed pianist after he lost his right in WWI

Ravel wrote a beautiful piano sonata for him. Can't beat that.

Sadly, Ravel never published a sonata. He wrote a sonatine which requires both hands. Do mean the Concerto for Left Hand?
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TomK
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Dave Spelvin
Oct 13 2006, 10:26 AM
TomK
Oct 13 2006, 05:59 AM
Dave Spelvin
Oct 12 2006, 11:28 PM
Handless. Paul Wittgenstein was a left-handed pianist after he lost his right in WWI

Ravel wrote a beautiful piano sonata for him. Can't beat that.

Sadly, Ravel never published a sonata. He wrote a sonatine which requires both hands. Do mean the Concerto for Left Hand?

You are on my case today--Yup.

Anyway the Concerto was for Wittgenstein.
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Dave Spelvin
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TomK
Oct 13 2006, 06:28 AM
Dave Spelvin
Oct 13 2006, 10:26 AM
TomK
Oct 13 2006, 05:59 AM
Dave Spelvin
Oct 12 2006, 11:28 PM
Handless. Paul Wittgenstein was a left-handed pianist after he lost his right in WWI

Ravel wrote a beautiful piano sonata for him. Can't beat that.

Sadly, Ravel never published a sonata. He wrote a sonatine which requires both hands. Do mean the Concerto for Left Hand?

You are on my case today--Yup.

Anyway the Concerto was for Wittgenstein.

Not on your case. Just the facts, ma'am.

(Actually, I went to the internet to find the Ravel sonata I hadn't heard about!)
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DivaDeb
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Baritone Thomas Quasthoff is blessed with one of the finest lieder voices of the age. He won classical Grammy awards in 2001 and 2004 for Mahler and Schubert recordings. He records for Deutsche Grammophon.

His mother took Thalidomide for morning sickness. The results of the use of that drug are well known now, and Thomas bears the severe birth defects associated with Thalidomide babies. He is barely four feet tall. His legs are malformed. He has vestigal arms. He was denied admission to study music due to his inability to play piano.

The trailer for a documentary of his life to date, entitled "The Dreamer" can be viewed below:

Thomas Quasthoff
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TomK
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Dave Spelvin,Oct 13 2006
10:29 AM

You are on my case today--Yup.

Anyway the Concerto was for Wittgenstein.

Not on your case. Just the facts, ma'am.

(Actually, I went to the internet to find the Ravel sonata I hadn't heard about!) [/QUOTE]
Didn't really think you were. Just me being sloppy--and in a hurry and all crap.
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