Composers and Mental Illness?

[Shagdac]

Seems to me many of our very famous composers, and  musical genius' of the past suffered from some sort of mental illness. Many led very disturbing, dark and depressing lives. Coincidence?

[chopiabin]

I personally believe that much creativity comes from sadness or depression. One begins to think more deeply and find new ideas and ways of expressing thoughts that one had never used before. Vulnerability and pain make us human and much great art results from them.

Beethoven was a very strange and unsettled character who suffered unrequited love; Schumann went insane; Chopin was always very sickly and often depressed; Scriabin went insane; and Rachmaninov stopped composing for several years because of depression and had to be treated by a hypnotist.

[Noah]

... and Tchaikovsky killed himself.

[Odie]

Mozart had some serious problems too.  I don't think it's a coincidence that geniuses suffer from mental illness.  They're brains are just wired differently...perhaps even off-balance.  They have amazing talent but equally amazing shortcomings.  I agree with choplabin...  Suffering is great inspiration for artistic expression because it's something that every human can identify with, thereby making more of a profound experience for the audience.

Look at the music that has come from groups or individuals whor were writing first hand musical records of the hopeless emotional situations.  Then look at the 80's when everyone started getting soft in America...

[krenske]

Have any of you been mentally ill?

[comme_le_vent]

thats a rather personal question, but......
yeah ive had bad depression, so that must mean im a genius  

[eddie92099]

Have any of you been mentally ill?

TwinkleFingers...?
Ed

[CSC]

Ööööhh,, do you get my swedish ööös right?
sort of an British English uuurrrrhhh, or bird.

öö, Anyway, did anybody here want to ö talk to me?
This seems to be my sort of subject.
Lately I've gone f*ing waco. NOT TO BLAME THÖÖ MUSIC MIND YOU!!!!  AAAAHHHH!

i/o-streams

do you all read me?

I'm sorry, I just sort of felt you were calling for me here.
But you all already know the one reason to go insane.

dear old peter told us, music, and loneliness (the latter he never uttered out loud possibly not so often)
But music IS the one reason to go crazy.
/peace, love

[comme_le_vent]

lol
i understand you perfectly  

[faulty_damper]

Mozart had some serious problems too.  I don't think it's a coincidence that geniuses suffer from mental illness.  They're brains are just wired differently...perhaps even off-balance.  They have amazing talent but equally amazing shortcomings.  I agree with choplabin...  Suffering is great inspiration for artistic expression because it's something that every human can identify with, thereby making more of a profound experience for the audience.

Look at the music that has come from groups or individuals whor were writing first hand musical records of the hopeless emotional situations.  Then look at the 80's when everyone started getting soft in America...

I disagree that their brains are wired differently.  Mozart, in my opinion, was "crap" and is over-rated.    He accepted the technology of his time and didn't at all try to improve it, unlike Beethoven who was never happy with the pianos he played.  Anyway, Mozart was a small composer, not much sustaining bass at all so he sounds like a puny character.  And his compositions: so simple.  He wasn't a very developed composer compared to Ludwig & Schubert.

Being lonely is great motivation to do something else that keeps you from being lonely.   Something that takes a lot of time like composing is the perfect fit.  Lack of interacting with people will make you insane.

There isn't a correlation to just composers and mental illness; anyone can have a mental "illness" and not be a composer.

[Daevren]

That is because they were too smart to be happy. Scriabin is an excellent example. He made up all kinds of strange theories to explain the world in according with his madness.

Mentally ill? I have been obsessively love sick for two years now.

Also, mental illness won't make you a better composer. It will make you a less composer.