Shakespeare - word class conversion and its effect on the brain

[mcgillcomposer]

A friend sent me this fascinating article this morning; I thought I would share it with all of you. Enjoy!

https://moreintelligentlife.com/node/298

- Andrew

[rc]

Thanks for the interesting read.

A while back I decided to figure out what's so great about poetry, after dabbling around in some short poem collections I dove into Milton then went on a little Shakespeare binge.  Eventually I figured it out and was able to get into it, (started thinking in iambic pentameter for a while ) and I can relate to that 'stretching' sensation he talks about...  In a vague way it feels like the mind becomes more active.  It makes sense that SHakespears language, being complex but still making sense, forces the mind to pay more attention.

[thalberg]

I read this, it was interesting.  Shakespeare was so amazing. 

Does it inspire you as a composer to try something similar?  Perhaps use things in certain ways they would not normally function?

I suppose a lot of that has been done already.....

[mcgillcomposer]

I read this, it was interesting.  Shakespeare was so amazing. 

Does it inspire you as a composer to try something similar?  Perhaps use things in certain ways they would not normally function?

I suppose a lot of that has been done already.....

If anything, it's encouraged me to study neuropsychology in order to compose better music...

A powerful understanding of it can, in my opinion, be an enormous advantage.

[counterpoint]

If anything, it's encouraged me to study neuropsychology in order to compose better music...

You're joking, aren't you? What do you need "neuropsychology" when you can just sit down and write the music you imagine and feel?! This is the way all great composers did compose their great works. No need of tricks.

[mcgillcomposer]

You're joking, aren't you? What do you need "neuropsychology" when you can just sit down and write the music you imagine and feel?! This is the way all great composers did compose their great works. No need of tricks.

I am joking, although understanding how things are generally perceived is a great advantage to any artist - I would venture to say that this faculty is quite accute in all great artists, whether or not they are aware of the related physical mechanisms.

On another note, I may be pulling hairs here but great composers did not "just sit down and write the music [they imagined and felt]". For example, Mozart often complained of how people thought that his music came easily to him; Beethoven's sketchbooks are evidence enough that he did not just sit down and write the music he imagined and felt...he worked the ideas to the bone and often discarded what he had initially imagined.

As for this business about tricks - well, they aren't 'tricks' per se...but a good composer will draw the attention of the listener to what he wants them to hear. As I said above, a good understanding of human perception is required to do this effectively, whether it be conscious or not.

[0range]

Fantastic article! Thanks for sharing.

[counterpoint]

As for this business about tricks - well, they aren't 'tricks' per se...but a good composer will draw the attention of the listener to what he wants them to hear. As I said above, a good understanding of human perception is required to do this effectively, whether it be conscious or not.

You should be aware of the danger, that you compose what you think the people like to hear and not what you really want to communicate. It's the question about the truth and credibility of music.

[mcgillcomposer]

You should be aware of the danger, that you compose what you think the people like to hear and not what you really want to communicate. It's the question about the truth and credibility of music.

My argument has nothing to do with what people like to hear, rather, it has to do with composing the music one wants to write with the greatest effect possible. For example, if one doesn't understand that the human ear expects a dominant seventh chord to resolve to the tonic (or more precisely, the leading tone to resolve to the tonic and the A4 to resolve to a sixth - inversions taken into account as well) then one doesn't really know how to use it effectively ... only formulaically (if that).

Do you honestly think that Beethoven never asked himself, "what will the listener notice HERE?" As a brilliant composer, Beethoven forces you to hear what he wants you to hear - THAT is good composing, and it comes from understanding human perception, again, whether it be conscious or NOT.