Mats Norrman writes:

>A neurology doctor (I forgot his name, I will check sources on demand)
>studied a Russian which he named "S" who had a phoenomenal memory function.
>He was studied over a period of over 10 years, and seemingly he remembered
>everything he noticed.

The book Mats refers to is "The Mind of A Mnenonist" by the great Russian
neurologist Luria.  I believe Oliver Sacks, whose wonderful books are the
best writing in this field since Luria, counts himself a sort of disciple
of the Russian.

There are many accounts of musicians, Mozart for example, performing
astonishing mnemonical feats of musical memory.  I didn't know the story
Mats relates about Mussorgski, but it rings true, doesn't it? To write the
music he did, Mussorgski must have been able to take into his head much
other music in great detail---and then extract deep structures from it and
transform it.  Come to think of it, maybe that is what creativity consists
of.  What a pity that Mussorgski, in the end, pickled his brain so
completely.

Jon Gallant    [[log in to unmask]]