Who Is / Was the Craziest Most Insane Composer of All Time (WIWTCMICOAT)

EddieRUKiddingVare

EddieRUKiddingVare

New member
Most Genius composers were/ are either somewhat crazy, totally crazy or even evil crazy. Who is your pick as the craziest- either musically/ or personally?

I'll start of by Nominating some:

Richard Wagner - In 1839 he was forced to flee Riga, Russia(money issues) then flee Germany because there was a warrant out for his arrest (revolt) etc affairs with married women and on and on...

Robert Schumann - attempted suicide, angelic visions / demonic visionsSchumann finally confined to a mental institution after he attempted suicide by throwing himself from a bridge into the Rhine River. Rescued by boatmen he asked to be taken to an asylum for the insane.

Alessandro Stradella - hired assassin took care of him

Smetana - Spent his last months in the Prague Insane Asylum

Hugo Wolf - Attempted to drown himself ended up in a insane asylum - seems a very familar theme

Mozart and Salieri ????

Peter Warlock - died of asphyxiation pic below:


Your turn.......:crazy:
 
matsoljare

matsoljare

New member
No contest. Simply no contest.

PG-Cordially.gif
 
EddieRUKiddingVare

EddieRUKiddingVare

New member
^ All good choices. I think Percy was eccentric rather than crazy (plus I've got to stick up for fellow Aussies) but definately Carlo Gesualdo- what do you say about him mmmm...... displayed his dead wife and lover in front of his castle, dressing the mutilated Duke of Andria's body in his dead wife Maria's night dress- very tacky very crazy almost good enough for a Holywood movie don't you think.................

My suggested top ten (WIWTCMICOAT) is.......

1 Gesualdo da Venosa
2 Scriabin
3 Stockhausen
4 Hugo Wolf
5 Sorabji
6 Richard Wagner

7 Smetana
8 Peter Warlock
9 Arenshy
10 Alessandro Stradella

I would also add 11. Celine Dion to the end of my list= hate her music lol
 
Corno Dolce

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
EddieRUKiddingVare said:
^ All good choices. I think Percy was eccentric rather than crazy (plus I've got to stick up for fellow Aussies) but definately Carlo Gesualdo- what do you say about him mmmm...... displayed his dead wife and lover in front of his castle, dressing the mutilated Duke of Andria's body in his dead wife Maria's night dress- very tacky very crazy almost good enough for a Holywood movie don't you think.................

My suggested top ten (WIWTCMICOAT) is.......

1 Gesualdo da Venosa
2 Scriabin
3 Stockhausen
4 Hugo Wolf
5 Sorabji
6 Richard Wagner

7 Smetana
8 Peter Warlock
9 Arenshy
10 Alessandro Stradella

I would also add 11. Celine Dion to the end of my list= hate her music lol
Click to expand...


Hi Eddie,

When I lived in Hawaii I sang with an a capella group that performed lots of early music i.e. nothing after J.S. Bach - So yes, we did plenty of Gesualdo - In fact, the group leader was a closeted fanatic of Gesualdo - you can bet we had laughs aplenty within the group. Oh yeah, his life and escapades would be simply smashing for a Hollywood script. Lecherous is the one word that crosses my mind when I ponder about Gesualdo. But he certainly used novel harmonic language in his compositions...

Say, whats your beef about Sorabji? He is just so misunderstood - He's eccentric to the extreme rather than crazy. His Symphonic Variations for piano solo (KSS59) is ten hours of just mind-boggling music, leaving no stone unturned. I have played his first two organ symphonies and they leave one just utterly exhausted and wrung out as a performer. Yep, Stockhausen and I must add Xenakis - Their music just makes me want to jump out of my skin!!! EGADS!!! What Wretchedness!!!???!!! Scriabin? well, its a pity that he lost himself in anthroposophical solipsism a la Madame Blavatsky.
 
EddieRUKiddingVare

EddieRUKiddingVare

New member
Corno Dolce said:
Hi Eddie,

When I lived in Hawaii I sang with an a capella group that performed lots of early music i.e. nothing after J.S. Bach - So yes, we did plenty of Gesualdo - In fact, the group leader was a closeted fanatic of Gesualdo - you can bet we had laughs aplenty within the group. Oh yeah, his life and escapades would be simply smashing for a Hollywood script. Lecherous is the one word that crosses my mind when I ponder about Gesualdo. But he certainly used novel harmonic language in his compositions...

Say, whats your beef about Sorabji? He is just so misunderstood - He's eccentric to the extreme rather than crazy. His Symphonic Variations for piano solo (KSS59) is ten hours of just mind-boggling music, leaving no stone unturned. I have played his first two organ symphonies and they leave one just utterly exhausted and wrung out as a performer. Yep, Stockhausen and I must add Xenakis - Their music just makes me want to jump out of my skin!!! EGADS!!! What Wretchedness!!!???!!! Scriabin? well, its a pity that he lost himself in anthroposophical solipsism a la Madame Blavatsky.
Click to expand...

Corno, your comments are great and agree with you some on my list are more eccentric than crazy. So would agree Sorabji is prob getting a bad wrap there.

Would have to say that I'm one of those that like the modern composer such as Stockhausen and Xenakis and tend to favour their music as well as Varese of course lol. They appeal to the atonal side of my musical tastes.....................
 
wljmrbill

wljmrbill

Member
I believe that eccentric, close insanity is almost a requirement to be a great composer as many were out of touch with real reality and so called normal sane activities.. IMHO
 
JHC

JHC

Chief assistant to the assistant chief
wljmrbill said:
I believe that eccentric, close insanity is almost a requirement to be a great composer as many were out of touch with real reality and so called normal sane activities.. IMHO
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Sorry Bill but it did not work with me :crazy::crazy: Yawoweeeeeeee
 
Corno Dolce

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
wljmrbill said:
I believe that eccentric, close insanity is almost a requirement to be a great composer as many were out of touch with real reality and so called normal sane activities.. IMHO
Click to expand...

Dearest Wljmrbill,

Are you saying that JSBach is Mad?? Nay, heaven forfend.............:bawl::bawl::bawl::bawl::bawl:
 
wljmrbill

wljmrbill

Member
MY friends Bach was an exception to so many rules. He was and is one of a kind and Heavenly inspired in my opinon.
 
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