a high funtioning savant? Same with Mozart and other great composers? Has there ever been any speculation or even study on this? Expecially since Mozart was known to write completely new symphonies out of thin air and onto paper without hearing one note in as less as two days.
Something tells me he was a little…well…different.
The few facts I do know about the major composers, I tend to forget which fact goes to which one. But I believe Mozart had perfect pitch, and I wouldn’t be surprised if several of the other very famous composers did too. That alone is unusual.
I think Beethoven used this technique, myself.
Beethoven is believed to have perfect pitch, since it’s thought that’s the only way he could have composed after he went deaf (what caused it, anyway?). IIRC, the pieces of Einstein’s brain that have been studied showed greater density of neurons, etc. in the areas of the brain associated with mathematics. Of course, the question is: Was Einstein so good at math because his brain was wired up that way, or did being so good at math wire his brain up that way?
Genetics almost certainly play a part in musical ability, as well as environment (Mozart’s father was a composer, so there’s both the genetic component as well as the environmental in his case.)
I saw a fascinating (yet rather speculative) documentary about Mozart a while back, suggesting that he may have suffered from some compulsive disorder such as Tourette’s Syndrome - the presenter of the programme, James McConnel, suffers from Tourettes himself and I must say his argument was pretty compelling - although, as I say, I recognise the speculative nature of it, and the experts he interviewed and presented his case to were uniformly unconvinced.
Not to hijack, but was Einstein *really * a math wizard? Yes, he was good at math, but I’m pretty sure there were others who were much better. I thought his gift was in formulating and understanding abstract concepts, not mathematics.
I’cve read suggestioons that it was due to syphilis, but a quick internet search shows as many sites vehemently against this idea as for it. (I’m reminded of the play Amadeus, in which the Venticelli comment, on the theory that Salieri may have poisoned Mozart –
“Nobody believes that”
“Yes, everyone knows what Mozart died of.”
“Syphilis”
“…Like Everyone else.”)
pro-syphilis:
http://www.classicalarchives.com/bios/beethoven_bio.html
anti-syphilis:
Einstein was most definitely not a math wizard. He often admitted that he was no great shakes in that area. His genius lay in theory.
This site suggests (but doesn’t insist) that it may have been lead poisoning:
All these theories are nothing more than speculation, and often based on preposterous assumptions such as…
I don’t mean to shoot the messenger, Tuckerfan, but the idea that someone cannot envisage sound just because they’ve lost the ability to hear it is really patronising towards deaf people.
And regarding
Yes, it’s a highly-unusual skill, but I know at least one composer who (sometimes) writes pieces in such a way, at such a rate. No, they don’t sound like Mozart, but that’s not the point!
Must have been all that thrash metal he listened to as a kid.
Not doubting at all. Who is that composer?
‘Know’ as a friends, not as household names!
“Patronising?” Really?
It may be based on a misunderstanding, but, “patronising?” I don’t see in any way how the view Tuckerfan mentioned shows an attitude of superiority towards deaf people.
Now… if a deaf person were afraid he is inferior because of his deafness, he might take any mention of a loss of ability due to his deafness as “patronising.” But he would be wrong to fear inferiority, and he would be wrong to use the term “patronising.”
-FrL-
I read it as in implication of musical inferiority among deaf people, which yes, if a genuine opinion, I would consider patronising.
By high functioning savant do you mean Asperger’s Syndrome?
That website mentions Beethoven (among others).
You might have a point you are able to equate envisioning sound with composing the Ninth.
The charge of patronising is unfounded.
Is it your contention that deaf people, on average, are not musically inferior to people who can hear? Isn’t the perception of sound sort of crucial to music?
Gotcha, I’d still like to hear some stuff. I’m a classical freak and am actually listening to Beethoven as I type. 
Sweet, thanks for the link ! Interesting stuff. I had my suspicions.
If I think someone can’t walk because they are missing both legs, I am not implying that they are inferior to me, and I am not being patronizing.
If I think someone can’t compose music because they are, say, missing both auditory nerves, I am not implying that they are inferior to me and I am not being patronizing.
My inference that they can’t compose music is false, but not patronizing–just as my previous inference that the person couldn’t walk was true, but not patronizing.
The equation of inability with inferiority does indeed invite patronising attitudes. But the equation is a false one.
-FrL-