Steve, in a continuation of replies: >... is that it seems to be a "one-way" function. In other words, >because we have formed an opinion of the character of the composer or >because we know certain facts about a composer's life, the music "must" >show this, despite the (I believe) fundamentally abstract nature of >music. That is, it's not as though we necessarily have words that give >us a clue as to meaning. I think it mostly works that way. Whatever impressions you have of a person can influence the way you hear the music. Certainly there are also times when we think we hear something personal or profound in a piece by an unknown composer, but this is more likely something about ourselves we are hearing. And in the other direction, sometimes when we learn something positive or interesting about a composer, maybe one we weren't disposed to originally, we might return with a more favorable listen, a more receptive ear, a more open mind. I think I heard some here hinting that they wouldn't necessarily want the "facts" intruding on the music itself. I sometimes wish I could listen with such blinders, but my curioisty about these people prevent it. >My question has always been, "If you knew nothing of the composer's >life, would you be able to discern his character from the music alone?" >I've never seen anybody do this. I may dislike the music of the bel >canto school (and, boy, do I dislike it), but I have no idea of the >character of the composers who wrote it. Furthermore, the music interests >me so little, I'm probably not going to go to the trouble of researching >their lives. Stravinsky, by the way, was not the nicest or most politically >liberal of men. I love his music. Yes indeed. And also, aren't humans too complicated to have a one-to-one function from their personas to their musical output? The music that comes from a person who might be a louse in many respects is surely coming from a multi-facteted creature. The music could be taken as a "good side". Maybe the schmuck beat his wife, but he was kind to dogs and this part also composed music. Rick