Jazz for aficionados

*****Rok, just curious, what do you base the "arrogant twerk" comment on? ******

From the youtube of him you sent earlier. Just came across that way to me. Nothing to do with music.

Well if he wrote more that LvB, he certainly did not have nearly the impact of Beethoven. But I will see soon enough. I have the Ballets and The Soldiers Tale on order.

I am not hating on the guy. It's just that I have NEVER read anything like that about Beethoven. But, I can't argue with both you and Learsfool. You guys should know. Could be that my reading list is inadequate.

The Media:
You will admit that the powers that be in the art world, went out of their way to support and praise all the Russians that escaped to the West. At least while the Reds were running Russia.

And part of that support was to 'ensure' that they were a success here. Sort of like the support 'West Berlin' got during the cold war. It was a welfare city, but boy did it look good! Esp in comparison to East Berlin.

Solzhenitsyn comes to mind. A person would think, reading his press, that he was the second coming of Hemingway! Same with most other 'defectors'.

We have no disagreement concerning Igor.

Cheers

*****BTW, did you know that Bird wanted to study with Stravinsky?******

Are you trying to destory all of my idols in one night? :)

Cheers

****Are you trying to destory all of my idols in one night? :)****

Now, THAT'S very funny. Not at all; even if it may seem like it. Just trying to push your process of discovery (Stravinsky) in a more open-minded direction. I am truly glad that, even after your previous rants about Stravinsky and "modern" composers in general, that you have decided to give Igor a shot. However, you seem to be going into it with a bias against him. Simply an observation on my part based on what you have written now and previously, and probably just as unreliable as comments about Stravinsky's personality. Me? I would rather wait until I meet him :-) before making such a judgment and let his music do the talking first. Most importantly, if one of my acknowledged idols says "Hey, check this out," I will look long and hard for what it is I am not seeing (hearing) at first. But, just for kicks and some good natured idol destruction:

http://stillchaos.wordpress.com/2010/11/12/the-necessity-of-arrogance

From Beethoven.ws :

"In Prince Lichnowski's house in Vienna, where he lived, he was said to be stubborn. He would deliberately arrive late at meal times and he paid little attention to the way he dressed. The young genius had always had a brusque, arrogant personality."

"God is closer to me than others of my art" - LV Beethoven

http://mikelynchcartoons.blogspot.com/2009/12/schulzs-beethoven-schroeders-muse.html

I don't know which of Stravinsky's works you ordered besides "L'Histoire", but keep something in mind when you listen to them. Stravinsky, probably more so than any other major composer, was known for composing in an amazing range of styles; in fact, he was criticized for that. So, before making a final verdict I would make sure you have heard a fairly wide range of his music.

This is great!

http://www.jerryjazzmusician.com/2004/01/great-encounters-1-when-charlie-parker-played-for-igor-stravinsky/

Because of this discussion I will listen to Stravinsky's "Symphony of Psalms" later today. To my ear, there is beauty there. Is it the beauty of Debussy or Ravel? No. For me, it is something more austere, transcendent and moving.