I do hope my recent post about art vs. craft does not start a fire storm
of criticism.  I was trying to separate music in to two categories 1) music
where the composer hoped to stir emotions in the listener and those where
the composer was experimenting with musical ideas which may or may not stir
emotion in the listener, but the composer did not necessarily have that
intent.  Chopin's etudes are a good example of the 2nd type, although
several are quite emotional.  His 2nd movementt of the Fmin concerto is
a good example of the 1st.

I was extreamly careful to allow craft to be great music requiring genius
to produce - just having no emotional intent.

(I do this although my own feelings are that all music stirs some emotion
and that this was chiefly the intent of the great composers, and this is
why they are, in fact, called great.)

Then why divide music at all? Well we do.  There's classical vs.  rock, in
classical there's baroque vs romantic, there's early Beethoven vs.  late
Beethoven, etc.  This is simple another dimension for looking at it.

I am now re-reading the letters of Beethoven, hoping his words will shed
some light on this subject, at least as regards HIS music.  I will keep the
list informed about my findings.  So far I have found this interesting
comment that gives some insight into how he percieved music.  Its about a
sonata that he was asked to write.

   To Capellmeister HOFMEISTER, Leipzig
   Vienna, April 8, 1802

   Gentlemen, are you then all possessed of the devil, to propose me to
   write such a sonata.  At the time revolution fever that would have
   been all very well, but now, as everything is seeking to return to
   the beated track - and the Concordant drawn up between Buonaparte
   [sic] and the Pope - a sonata of this kind? If only it were a Missa
   pro Sancta Maria a tre voci, or a Vesper, etc, then I would at once
   take pencil in hand, and with great pound notes [Pfundnoten] write
   down a Credo in unum, but, good heavens, such a Sonata in these newly
   commencing Christian times - hoho- leave me out of it, nothing will
   come of it.

Is this program music he is refferring to?. What could the specifications
for the sonata have been that provoked this response. What "kind" of sonata
would not "fit" with the times? Any thoughts?

Bill Pirkle