# were nero a classical composer?



## deprofundis (Apr 25, 2014)

It was said he played the violin while rome burned...so i Wonder if he left some parchemin of his musical work, i know he is one of the most evil individual but i Wonder if he were somesort of classical musician beside being label an antichrist ect..

His my question relevant or interresting? i bet a musicologist can answer this one on TC.


:tiphat:


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## Lyricus (Dec 11, 2015)

The ancient Romans didn't have a violin proper. In fact, our only ancient source, Tacitus, who was by no means in favor of Nero, said that the emperor was actually in a different city, and the rumor that he was playing the lyre was merely that, a rumor.

There are examples of ancient Greek and Roman music, but they're by no means "Classical" in the sense of music from Clementi through Schubert, or even resembling that, even if we typically describe the period as the Classical era. You can hear for yourself some computer versions of reconstructions here: http://www.oeaw.ac.at/kal/agm/.


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## Grizzled Ghost (Jun 10, 2015)

Nero was vilified by the early Christian church for trying to redevelop the slums in Rome where the Christians lived − he reputedly used a fire to try to drive them out. The Book of Revelations was written as a veiled attack on Nero in response. 

Otherwise he was an immature and probably incompetent ruler from age 16 to age 31 (when he committed suicide), but probably not a particularly "evil" ruler by the standards of the day.

According to wikipedia, he composed for the lyre and liked to sing − but none of his works survive. He also tried his hand at acting and chariot racing, and even participated in the Olympics!

To paraphrase Mel Brooks − it's good to be the Caesar!


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## Flamme (Dec 30, 2012)

I dont know what he fiddled but one thing is certain. He was a helluva guy!!!


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## Dr Johnson (Jun 26, 2015)

Flamme said:


> I dont know what he fiddled but one thing is certain.* He was a helluva guy!!!:*D


He certainly thought so. " Qualis artifex pereo" (what an artist dies with me) are allegedly his last words.


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## Lyricus (Dec 11, 2015)

This was after the forced suicides of Petronius, Lucan, and Seneca, among others. And let's not get into his mother. Nero was a blight, at least in his later years.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I would hazard a guess that Peter Ustinov's performance here in the movie _'Quo Vadis'_ is as fair a portrayal of Nero's talent as any.


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## Steatopygous (Jul 5, 2015)

He emailed me a few scores of his works when I tried to interview him. Quite competent - certainly as good as Vivaldi. 
Atonal of course (fleeing for cover...)


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

If Nero was a composer then he must have been the first to have a neck beard.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

elgars ghost said:


> If Nero was a composer then he must have been the first to have a neck beard.


However, he'd probably still look better than the Nero in Harnoncourt's L'incoronazione di Poppea.


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## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

Nero means "genius" in Finnish if that is in any way relevant (it is not).


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Blancrocher said:


> However, he'd probably still look better than the Nero in Harnoncourt's L'incoronazione di Poppea.


Have you a picture, please?


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

elgars ghost said:


> Have you a picture, please?


70s sleaze in Italian baroque costume at its finest:


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Blancrocher said:


> 70s sleaze in Italian baroque costume at its finest:


But what exquisite singing!


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> But what exquisite singing!


Agreed--and Harnoncourt's my favorite for all three Monteverdi operas, fwiw.


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Nero did sing and apparently the Roman elites hated it because it debased their prestige or something.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

ArtMusic said:


> Nero did sing and apparently the Roman elites hated it because it debased their prestige or something.


The senate thought it was a disgrace for anyone of high birth to perform in public - in Roman society acting, singing and playing music were the vocations of the lower orders (including slaves), even though a lot of money could be made from it.

In Nero's case, once the few people who could initially keep these excesses in check were done away with the only people close to him were a retinue of rent-a-crowd flatterers who were hardly in a position to dissuade him. When he entered competitions it was routine to decide to award him first prize in advance in order to keep him sweet, and when in the mood his performances could go on for even longer than a Grateful Dead concert.

The future emperor Vespasian once got into trouble for falling asleep during one of Nero's performances, and some people actually used to feign death in order to get out of the theatre.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Many societies, maybe most, have viewed musicians, actors, dancers, jugglers, and the like with disdain. Frederick the Great got in a lot of trouble with his daddy over his musical fixations and had quite an unhappy time when younger. A book worth reading on this is _Evening in the Palace of Reason_, about Frederick's meeting with JS Bach.

http://www.amazon.com/Evening-Palace-Reason-Frederick-Enlightenment/dp/0007156618/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450147492&sr=1-1&keywords=evening+in+the+palace+of+reason


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

Nero was a douche. End of story.


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