The biggest tragedy in classical music history.

[George K]

@Axtremus Clara Schumann, Pyotr Tchaikovsky. and Camille Saint-Saens might have some thoughts on that.

[89th]

Honestly I think the biggest tragedy was Beethoven being deaf. Think his music is good? Imagine if he could’ve heard his own shit.

[jon-nyc]

@Ax, true, but you're venturing into Rumsfeld's unknown unknowns, whereas I'm talking about known unknowns.

[jon-nyc]

@89th said in The biggest tragedy in classical music history.:

Honestly I think the biggest tragedy was Beethoven being deaf. Think his music is good? Imagine if he could’ve heard his own shit.

I suspect his death at the youngish age of 57 was a bigger loss than his deafness. He clearly had the music in his head and could transcribe it to paper.

[Axtremus]

@jon-nyc Consider it a highlighting of the potential magnitude of the unknown unknowns dwarfing the magnitude of the known unknowns.

[Axtremus]

Statistically, musicians produce their "best works" when they are young. So maybe discount the "loss productivity" of the aging composers more?

[jon-nyc]

Well, there were women composers. Follow Leah Broad on twitter, she’ll introduce you to them. Maybe there would have been more had society been different. Hence my post about unknown unknowns.

How many non-Europeans would have been writing European art music (which is, after all, what we mean when we say 'classical music') in 1800, even if they were 'allowed' to? Probably none, within a reasonable rounding error.

[Klaus]

@jon-nyc said in The biggest tragedy in classical music history.:

Schubert dying at 31.

Talk me out of it. You automatically lose if the word "Mozart" appears in your answer.

Mozart died too late, if anything.

Schubert has the best melodies. I'm working on the Schubert/Liszt "Ständchen" at the moment. Such a great melody!

That said, Schubert also wrote a lot of boring music. I don't care much for his early piano sonatas before D840, for instance.

[kluurs]

After hearing me play, some might suggest my playing is a great tragedy for classical music.

[LuFins Dad]

Greatest tragedy? Bartok living long enough to publish Mikrocosmos.

[Doctor Phibes]

Classic FM hiring David Mellor as a presenter.

[Copper]

@Axtremus said in The biggest tragedy in classical music history.:

[woke]
The biggest tragedy in classical music history is the lack of representation from women, ethnic minorities, and the LGBTQ+ community.
[/woke]

Funny, I had assumed that most were in the community.

[Renauda]

Not the biggest tragedy in classical music by any means, but it is sad that Henry Purcell died at 36. He gave the world a rich inheritance as a composer and surely had much more to give. Certainly one of my favourite composers - even some of his vocal compositions.

[Copper]

Sadder still, those masters who never composed a note.

[Rainman]

Or those that tried and composed and no matter what they did, it all just sucked.

[taiwan_girl]

@Copper said in The biggest tragedy in classical music history.:

Sadder still, those masters who never composed a note.

Somewhat related, but I have thought when I have in a super poor area - maybe there is a kid in the rural village in India who could find a cure for cancer but will never have the opportunity. Or, maybe there is another Schubert here.......