Jocelyn Wang wrote:

>An intellectual is a person with a substantial intellect who develops
>that intellect.  A pseudo-intellectual is someone without a substantial
>intellect that wishes to appear as if he has one.

How do you know that you are no pseudo-intellectual mistaking the
intellectuals for pseudo-intellectuals? (See where labeling leads to?)

I mused that:

>>...  Mozart was so innovative and liked a good expensive life so much he
>>would have jumped headfirst into what electronic music, pop music, rock
>>music, jazz, classical music and sampling could offer him.  He would be
>>the king of the charts and I would fancy this.

Jocelyn answered:

>This is where this thread reaches an inevitable limitation, as neither of
>us can possibly prove our stances under this hypothetical.

Well, maybe, but hypotheses can say a lot about our beliefs and preferences
- and isn't it the meaning of this discussion list to share our musical
beliefs and preferences?

>>What I don't like about a lot of classical music lovers is that they treat
>>their heroes like gods and that it is blasphemy to say things like "Mozart
>>was a pop musician"
>
>It's not blasphemy, but it does suggest to me that those who say it like
>classical music without investing much thought into it.  I like some pop
>music, too, but much in the same way I like green tea ice cream, and I am
>under no illusion that it achieves the same level of artistry.  Classical
>music requires concentration, an intellectual effort that is almost never
>required of pop.

The old pop music-bashing again.  Can't we love classical music without
finding other kinds of music shallow? To write a good pop song is not
as simple a task as it may seem.  Anyway, a lot of Mozart's music (NOT
ALL!!!) is pop for me which means that it is light-hearted, entertaining
and artistically well-made - just like the pop songs of masters like
Weill, Porter, Lennon/McCartney, Jagger/Richards, Townsend, Zappa,
Rotheray/Heaton, Joel and so on.  Nevertheless I think of myself as someone
who invests a lot of thought into classical music.  You obviously know me
better than I know myself.

>>Classical music is the finest form of entertainment for me but still
>>entertainment.
>
>It is entertainment, yes, but it is much than only entertainment.

I meant this by saying it is the finest form of entertainment.  I don't
listen to Bach or Bruckner to get bored, it is entertainment that touches
my body, mind, heart and soul.  It is soul food and wonderfully refined -
and brilliantly entertaining.

Robert