Genesia said:

And then there was George Frideric Handel, whom Beethoven called "the greatest composer that ever lived" purely on the basis of his work, Messiah.

Messiah: 53 movements in 3 parts, written in 24 days. An absolutely stunning work.

Every one of his contemporaries seemed to love Handel. Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn all recognised his uniqueness, his ability to get so much effect out of few notes. Bach I think intended twice to meet him, but Handel perhaps snubbed him because the meeting supposedly never occurred.

Vox said:

'Tones sound, and storm, and roar about me until I have set them down in notes.' I know what it feels like to have P's music in my head all night, but can't imagine hearing new things all the time. Today I am thankful for Prince all over again.

Love this..I'm not a musician and I have always wondered how someone like Prince heard music in his head all the time..this helps explain. Amazing!

[Edited 8/23/16 12:54pm]

Thank you for this thread. It is interesting to read how classical muscians experience Prince and contemporary music. I'm looking forward to the papers written about Prince's genius and as you've done, how he compares to the legends.

That will take someone with a foot in both worlds, but you've started. Very cool. Appreciate it.

I followed the link to Mozart, then hopped over to Beethoven. Some wild quotes there that seemed particularly relevent. A few are below:

Music is indeed the mediator between the spiritual and sensual life.

• Attributed to Beethoven by Bettina von Arnim in a letter to Goethe (28 May 1810); Goethe's Correspondence with a Child (1837)

One clashes with stupidity of all kinds. And then how much money must be spent in advance! The way in which artists are treated is really scandalous. I am compelled to give a third of my receipts to the manager of the theatre and a fifth to the hospitals. Devil take them! As long as these abuses exist, I shall always ask whether music is or is not an art that may be freely exercised. Believe me, there is nothing to be done for artists in times like these.

• 24th November, 1814
• In: Johann Wenzel Tomaschek, "A Talk with Beethoven", The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular, Vol. 33, Beethoven Supplement (Dec. 15, 1892)

It is a recognised fact that the greatest composers were likewise the greatest virtuosos; but did they play like the pianists of the present day, who run up and down the keyboard with passages studied beforehand? Pooh! pooh! pooh! Don't tell me! A real virtuoso, when extemporising, plays pieces which hold together and possess a form. Were the ideas in them fixed instantly on paper, they would be taken for pieces written at leisure. That is what I call playing the piano; everything else is a bad joke.

• 24th November, 1814
• In: Johann Wenzel Tomaschek, "A Talk with Beethoven", The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular, Vol. 33, Beethoven Supplement (Dec. 15, 1892)

The world is a king, and like a king, desires flattery in return for favor; but true art is selfish and perverse — it will not submit to the mold of flattery.

• Conversations (March 1820)

1800 is not so long ago...

deerpath said:

Thank you for this thread. It is interesting to read how classical muscians experience Prince and contemporary music. I'm looking forward to the papers written about Prince's genius and as you've done, how he compares to the legends.

That will take someone with a foot in both worlds, but you've started. Very cool. Appreciate it.

I followed the link to Mozart, then hopped over to Beethoven. Some wild quotes there that seemed particularly relevent. A few are below:

Music is indeed the mediator between the spiritual and sensual life.

• Attributed to Beethoven by Bettina von Arnim in a letter to Goethe (28 May 1810); Goethe's Correspondence with a Child (1837)

One clashes with stupidity of all kinds. And then how much money must be spent in advance! The way in which artists are treated is really scandalous. I am compelled to give a third of my receipts to the manager of the theatre and a fifth to the hospitals. Devil take them! As long as these abuses exist, I shall always ask whether music is or is not an art that may be freely exercised. Believe me, there is nothing to be done for artists in times like these.

• 24th November, 1814
• In: Johann Wenzel Tomaschek, "A Talk with Beethoven", The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular, Vol. 33, Beethoven Supplement (Dec. 15, 1892)

It is a recognised fact that the greatest composers were likewise the greatest virtuosos; but did they play like the pianists of the present day, who run up and down the keyboard with passages studied beforehand? Pooh! pooh! pooh! Don't tell me! A real virtuoso, when extemporising, plays pieces which hold together and possess a form. Were the ideas in them fixed instantly on paper, they would be taken for pieces written at leisure. That is what I call playing the piano; everything else is a bad joke.

• 24th November, 1814
• In: Johann Wenzel Tomaschek, "A Talk with Beethoven", The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular, Vol. 33, Beethoven Supplement (Dec. 15, 1892)

The world is a king, and like a king, desires flattery in return for favor; but true art is selfish and perverse — it will not submit to the mold of flattery.

• Conversations (March 1820)

1800 is not so long ago...

Those were quotes from Beethoven himself?

The references are listed under each quote as shown on the site linked to the Mozart information earlier. Perhaps an expert is familiar with the sources?

deerpath said:

The references are listed under each quote as shown on the site linked to the Mozart information earlier. Perhaps an expert is familiar with the sources?

You're right sorry.