Alex Soteros wrote:

>Can you think of any artist who is both a composer and an author?

Two come to mind as being taken seriously in both fields of endeavour:

ETA Hoffman whose Undine is a minor classic, very influential writer and
critic Richard Wagner, wrote his own libretti, his works Opera and Drama,
The Art work of the future and On Conducting all very influential.

Now there are many people who were writers or composers who did the
other as a sideline - composer/critic or composer/theorist being a common
combination to the point where examples - from Schumann to Bartok to
Virgil Thompson are too numerous to mention.  There are also many people
remembered as critics who also composed - Tovey for example.  Also, in an
era where being well rounded was considered more important than it is now,
several people turned their hand to composition.  We have small works from
Nietzsche, Tolstoy and Henry VIII.  I'm also assuming that we are not
counting the troubadour era of the middle ages - partially because it
becomes difficult to know who created what.

Another interesting example would be Robert Burns, who transcribed, and
modified numerous folk song settings in addition to his poetical works.

stirling s newberry
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