# If Types of Pieces are People



## Soraine (Nov 3, 2009)

What kinda of personality/characteristics would they possess?
Like, I imagine Fugue to be either organized and mathematical (as in Bach's fugues, or something) or have multiple personality disorder.

I need a lot of ideas for other types of pieces, like Sonatas, Rhapsodies, Nocturnes, etc.
Anything you can think of.
Would the person be friendly? Social (opera? haha)? Dark and mysterious?
What would the person wear?
Squeeze your imaginative glands for me pleash =)
If you were listening to one of the pieces while imagining, please also include the title

This is kinda unrelated and related to music at the same time, since I'm essentially doing this for a visual arts thing.
Would really appreciate input! 
Thanks a bunch for your time


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## Lukecash12 (Sep 21, 2009)

1.As for Scherzos, the person would be eclectic, emotional, humorous, and enigmatic.

2.As for symphonies, the person would be long winded, starkly intelligent, diverse, and good at arranging complex things.

3.A Nocturne sounds like an introspective, thoughtful, self contented person. 

4.A Symphonic Tone Poem would be a passionate, lucid, complicated, maybe even self absorbed person. 

5.A Rhapsody definitely sounds like a bipolar person, really emotional, even overly dramatic. 

6.A piano Concerto would be a riveting, very active active, well spoken, person with many different personalities and skins to put on in front of different people.

There's a little bit to start with.


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## nickgray (Sep 28, 2008)

If you're familiar with mbti typing:

Fugues would probably be INTP
Nocturnes INFP
Italian operas ESFJ
Scherzos ENTJ

and I'm out of ideas.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

The trouble with large works like symphonies, sonatas, or quartets is they can have so many different moods and forms within the work. Maybe it's best to stick with smaller forms.

Toccatas would have curious personalities, enjoy trying new things and are spontaneous. A cat might be a toccata.

Rondos are predictable and keep making the same mistakes over and over. They may even be criminals in a comic sort of way. (Beethoven's Rondo a capriccio "Rage Over a Lost Penny")

Chorales (or Hymns or Masses) are lofty formal individuals who adhere strictly to tradition. A member of the clergy.

Pastorales or Idylls are those that forsake the sophisticated city life and go back to a simpler life in nature. A greenie tree hugger (or a hippie) might be a pastorale. They may also be farmers.

Fugues - I think of these as scientists.

Marches - these are soldiers of course.

Lullabies or Berceuses are infants. 

Preludes are people who think about doing something really important but never quite get around to it. A procrastinator might be a prelude.

Overtures are teachers who prepare us for what is to come in life. 

Habaneras or Tangos might be the seductive dangerous types.

Goodness me this is too easy. Is that what you had in mind or did you need more detail?


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## Fsharpmajor (Dec 14, 2008)

This reminds me of a short story by the science fiction writer Philip K. Dick. I read it many years ago and unfortunately I've forgotten the name of it. In the story an inventor finds a way of making musical scores into insect-like living creatures, so that they will multiply and the music will be preserved even if the human race dies out. The appearance of the creatures reflects what their music is--I recall that one of them was called the Bach Bug. But things go wrong; the creatures start to mutate and their music becomes more and more discordant, until it is almost unrecognisable.

Thinking back on it now, the story is a parable about the evolution of classical music in the 20th Century. I didn't realise that at the time.

Has anybody read this story and knows the name of it? I would love to read it again.


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## Fsharpmajor (Dec 14, 2008)

I've found it, it's _The Preserving Machine:_

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Preserving_Machine_(short_story)


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## Lukecash12 (Sep 21, 2009)

Fsharpmajor said:


> This reminds me of a short story by the science fiction writer Philip K. Dick. I read it many years ago and unfortunately I've forgotten the name of it. In the story an inventor finds a way of making musical scores into insect-like living creatures, so that they will multiply and the music will be preserved even if the human race dies out. The appearance of the creatures reflects what their music is--I recall that one of them was called the Bach Bug. But things go wrong; the creatures start to mutate and their music becomes more and more discordant, until it is almost unrecognisable.
> 
> Thinking back on it now, the story is a parable about the evolution of classical music in the 20th Century. I didn't realise that at the time.
> 
> Has anybody read this story and knows the name of it? I would love to read it again.


That name makes me hop, skip, and jump. All you have to say is one thing "_Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep_".

I'm not sure of the name either. Phillip Kindred Dick wrote a lot of full blown masterpieces. He makes Scott Fitzgerald, Tolstoy, even Tolkien look like child's play. But Tolkien comes in second for sure.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Fsharpmajor said:


> . . . The appearance of the creatures reflects what their music is--I recall that one of them was called the Bach Bug. But things go wrong; the creatures start to mutate and their music becomes more and more discordant, until it is almost unrecognisable.


Clearly these latter are Schoenbugs.


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