# The Most Multi-disciplinary Composers?



## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

I am wondering who the most multi-disciplinary composers are?
I'm describing what's now known as a polyartist, used to be more
often called Renaissance men. Many people were good at composing,
like Charlie Chaplin, who did other things equally as well or much better.
I know Saint-Saens was a polyartist/polymath. Wagner and Schumann were
composers and writers. Hildegaard of Bingen was multidisciplinary in the
arts and sciences. 

Anyone know any others?

Also, what composers composed their own librettos?


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Alexander Borodin - composer, surgeon and professor of chemistry


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Leonard Bernstein, composer, great pianist, great conductor, intellectual, teacher, lecturer, TV personality.

Frank Zappa, composer, arranger, bandleader, record producer, guitarist, film producer, social satirist.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

Kanye West - pretentious douche bag, uneducated moron, ignoramus, cultural excrement.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Becca said:


> Alexander Borodin - composer, surgeon and professor of chemistry


Good thing Rimsky was around to finish up his compositions.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Morimur said:


> Kanye West - pretentious douche bag, uneducated moron, ignoramus, cultural excrement.


That's why he's so popular in America. Land of the clueless.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

starthrower said:


> That's why he's so popular in America. Land of the clueless.


It's sad and pitiful that such an excuse for a human being can wield such great influence over young people-human nature at its worst. America was once (very briefly) a great country; how far it's fallen. And the worst is probably yet to come.


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## tortkis (Jul 13, 2013)

John Cage - a composer and a writer and a visual artist

Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis - a composer and a painter








Cover art: Paradise (1909) by the composer


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Not a polymath, perhaps, but William Herschel made a bigger noise outside music than any other composer I can think of. He wrote 24 symphonies, lots of church music, and numerous concertos -- some of his oboe concerti are still played today. In his spare moments, he

- Discovered the planet Uranus
- Cataloged binary stars and determined they revolve around common centers of mass
- Cataloged nebulae and galaxies with a numbering system still used today
- Discovered infrared radiation
- Discovered that the Martian ice caps change size with the seasons
- Coined the word "asteroid"
- Discovered numerous moons of other planets
- Built over 400 telescopes -- remember, he had to grind his own mirrors -- including a behemoth with a four-foot mirror, the largest of its time.

Haydn visited him in London and fascinated with his current telescope.


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## tortkis (Jul 13, 2013)

Nietzsche (I have a CD of his lieder and piano works.)


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Schoenberg was a good expressionist painter as well.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Morton Feldman was a great essay writer. His writings are rather insightful.


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## GioCar (Oct 30, 2013)

Luigi Russolo (1985-1947) painter, composer, inventor of musical instruments

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luigi_Russolo









_La rivolta_ (The Revolt) - 1911





_Risveglio di una città_ (Awakening of a City) - 1913, for Intonarumori


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Morimur said:


> Kanye West - pretentious douche bag, uneducated moron, ignoramus, cultural excrement.


Careful! He's the friend of an acquaintance....he would probably set you right for comments like that :lol:


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

I'm going to mention Jean-Jacques Rousseau, ETA Hoffman and Max Planck. A philosopher, a writer and a physicist who all composed music but aren't as well known for their music as their other work!


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## motoboy (May 19, 2008)

Morimur said:


> It's sad and pitiful that such an excuse for a human being can wield such great influence over young people-human nature at its worst. America was once (very briefly) a great country; how far it's fallen. And the worst is probably yet to come.


America doesn't exactly have a monopoly on ignorant hero worship. Adults in the UK get all giddy over Madonna's latest album or insane escapade. Ireland produces and endorses the bizarre music and behavior of Sinead. Give me the name of a people and I can point out a culture failure. I have been around a good bit and can safely say that people are mostly the same all over. Geographic arrogance is the devil's tackhammer.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

motoboy said:


> America doesn't exactly have a monopoly on ignorant hero worship. Adults in the UK get all giddy over Madonna's latest album or insane escapade. Ireland produces and endorses the bizarre music and behavior of Sinead. Give me the name of a people and I can point out a culture failure. I have been around a good bit and can safely say that people are mostly the same all over. Geographic arrogance is the devil's tackhammer.


People are the same all over-of course. But some just happen to wield more influence than others. Let's not pretend that Hollywood hasn't usurped entire cultures. Alas, human nature is the true culprit.


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## GioCar (Oct 30, 2013)

Frederick II the Great

Composer and King


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

GioCar said:


> Frederick II the Great
> 
> Composer and King


And flautist IRC!

/ptr


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## Rhombic (Oct 28, 2013)

Xenakis, obviously. Architect an, furthermore, his exquisite mathematical construction of music suggests a very deep insight in statistics, probability and most branches of pure and applied mathematics.


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Art Rock said:


> Schoenberg was a good expressionist painter as well.


And writer of articles/books/libretti, teacher of several world-class composers, inventor of a form of four-player chess, creator of a method for keeping score in tennis, and as an adult, became fluent in a new language.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Michael Nyman has been a music critic, and has recently shifted his focus to photography and short films as well as composing.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

I believe Takemitsu wrote and published a detective novel.......


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## maestro267 (Jul 25, 2009)

Ignacy Jan Paderewski - Composer, pianist, president of Poland.


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

George Antheil, composer, pianist, author, endocrinologist, and inventor.
George Enescu, composer, violinist, pianist, conductor, pedagogue, writer, founder of the Conservatoire of Music in Bucharest.
Heitor Villa-Lobos, composer, conductor, cellist, guitarist, teacher, writer, raconteur, founder of the Music Conservatoire in Rio de Janeiro.


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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

Thanks for the responses. It's interesting how much polyartists/polymaths or "renaissance men and women" really contributed to society. I think the majority of those who did contribute to society were such people. And, today, I think such people are more likely to be seen as a flake, unless they are famous.

Quoting from a book by R.S. Pearson "The Experience of Hallucinations 
in Religious Practice," (2005):


"There is a wonderful booked called "The Anatomy of Hallucinations" by Dr. Fred H. Johnson (Nelson-Hall Chicago, IL. 1978) from which I have taken much of my understanding of hallucinations. Quoting the book on page 29: "...of the 113 geniuses that have most helped civilization, 37 percent to 40 percent were psychotic, 83 percent to 90 percent were psychopathic or sociopathic, and 30 percent of the most important were committed (Lange-Eichbaum 1932, Stein and Heinze, 1960)." This does not necessarily mean that they were or were not in contact with angels, the deceased, or an invisible brotherhood of telepathic men, or any of the other subject matter of hallucinations. It could mean instead they were so conscious of their interior life that they saw into the dream hemisphere in their waking state of consciousness. Some of these figures described their "hallucinations" as voices from God. Others may have believed in ideas of communicating with angels and the souls of deceased men."

Maybe this is why some of them were termed crazy ("You can't compose music, not that crazy stuff anyway, and be a serious scientist! Lock him up!")


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

Morimur said:


> It's sad and pitiful that such an excuse for a human being can wield such great influence over young people-human nature at its worst. America was once (very briefly) a great country; how far it's fallen. And the worst is probably yet to come.


I don't think America has ever been a great country (though it had great moments and promises). Other than that, I agree with your overall assessment.

As for the multi-disciplinary composer(s): 
Alexander Glazunov: composer, teacher, administrator (dir. of the St. Petersburg Conservatory), examiner, conductor/performer.
Kurt Atterberg: composer, conductor, critic, patent engineer.
Anton Rubinstein: composer, pianist, teacher, founder of the St. Petersburg Conservatory of Music.
Zoltan Kodaly: composer, pedagogue, musical ambassador, ethnomusicologist.
Bela Bartok: composer, pianist, one of the founders of comparative musicology (ethnomusicology).
Emil von Sauer: composer, pianist, score editor, and music (piano) teacher.


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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

Orfeo said:


> I don't think America has ever been a great country (though I had great moments and promises). Other than that, I agree with your overall assessment.
> 
> As for the multi-disciplinary composer(s):
> Alexander Glazunov: composer, teacher, administrator (dir. of the St. Petersburg Conservatory), examiner, conductor/performer.
> ...


I'm liking this post for the great number you found, not so much the idea that America was never a great 
country.

I just realized many of the electronic music pioneers were also electronic inventors or very innovative computer scientists.


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

^^^
Like Vladimir Ussachevsky for instance? Somehow his name came up as soon as I read your post.


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## Alfacharger (Dec 6, 2013)




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## MoonlightSonata (Mar 29, 2014)

Herschel and Nietzsche spring to mind, but they've already been mentioned.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

tortkis said:


> Nietzsche (I have a CD of his lieder and piano works.)


Aren't they terrible?


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

Morimur said:


> Aren't they terrible?


Yes they are!

/ptr


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## Grizzled Ghost (Jun 10, 2015)

Definitely Benjamin Franklin - enterpreneur, postmaster, scientist, statesman, author, community organizer, and general do-gooder.

Oh, and a really horrible composer!


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## tortkis (Jul 13, 2013)

Morimur said:


> Aren't they terrible?


I have not listened to them for a long time, but I thought they were not too bad.

Another philosopher/composer - Theodor W. Adorno: String Quartet (1921)


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

regenmusic said:


> *I am wondering who the most multi-disciplinary composers are?*
> I'm describing what's now known as a polyartist, used to be more
> often called Renaissance men. Many people were good at composing,
> like Charlie Chaplin, who did other things equally as well or much better.
> ...


I realize you have mentioned him, but to consider a composer as "the most" multidisciplinary as an artist, it might not be a bad idea to consider Wagner again. He may well deserve the crown.

You mention him as both composer and writer. Indeed he was these things, extraordinarily so. In "The Artwork of the Future" (1849), Wagner described a vision of opera as _Gesamtkunstwerk _("total work of art"), in which the various arts such as music, song, dance, poetry, visual arts and stagecraft were unified. He not only composed the music for his operas, he wrote the libretto. But it doesn't end there. Wagner controlled so many other aspects of his operas from blocking scenes to rehearsing his singer/actors, conducting the score, and even managing finances. In the area of scenic and costume designs, Wagner usually left the details of execution up to other artists and machinists so long as they were naturalistically rendered (often running counter to the current concern for historical accuracy in order to achieve a more "dreamlike effect") and the stagecraft was sophisticated and efficient enough to integrate special illusions he desired; yet we assume he had much to say about those same costume and set designs and was certainly particular about who would render them.

Wagner himself had the Festspielhaus in Beyreuth, his opera house, built to his precise specifications in order to present his four part music drama _Der Ring des Nibelungen_ with proper visual and acoustical effect. The architectural design featured several innovations including the "mystic chasm", that hidden orchestral pit designed in steps for specific instrument placements that allowed for best orchestral sound. Wagner's new ideas about acting and stagecraft led to his renaming his operas as "music dramas". And he even invented musical instruments to produce sounds needed for his performances!

That the man was an egomaniac goes without saying. That he was also one of the greatest geniuses to have ever lived is an assessment easily justified. (WH Auden considered him "the greatest genius of all time".) _n short, _Wagner's artistic accomplishments seem superhuman -- the very stuff of the characters he created. Indeed, an opera about Richard Wagner's artistic work ethic would probably rival _Der Ring des Nibelungen_ in scope. But who could ever create such a work with Wagner himself dead?


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

SONNET CLV said:


> I realize you have mentioned him, but to consider a composer as "the most" multidisciplinary as an artist, it might not be a bad idea to consider Wagner again. He may well deserve the crown.
> 
> You mention him as both composer and writer. Indeed he was these things, extraordinarily so. In "The Artwork of the Future" (1849), Wagner described a vision of opera as _Gesamtkunstwerk _("total work of art"), in which the various arts such as music, song, dance, poetry, visual arts and stagecraft were unified. He not only composed the music for his operas, he wrote the libretto. But it doesn't end there. Wagner controlled so many other aspects of his operas from blocking scenes to rehearsing his singer/actors, conducting the score, and even managing finances. In the area of scenic and costume designs, Wagner usually left the details of execution up to other artists and machinists so long as they were naturalistically rendered (often running counter to the current concern for historical accuracy in order to achieve a more "dreamlike effect") and the stagecraft was sophisticated and efficient enough to integrate special illusions he desired; yet we assume he had much to say about those same costume and set designs and was certainly particular about who would render them.
> 
> ...


I'm surprised you neglected to mention his importance as a conductor. He held positions as music director from 1833 to 1849, continued to conduct occasional concerts throughout his life, wrote a book "On Conducting" which is still worth reading, and is often cited as the prototype of the modern conductor.

To accomplish all the things Wagner did - many things of historical importance - and to do them supremely well, some egomania is absolutely indispensable. So he went a little overboard... :lol:


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Woodduck said:


> I'm surprised you neglected to mention his importance as a conductor. He held positions as music director from 1833 to 1849, continued to conduct occasional concerts throughout his life...


Sir George Grove has an amusing anecdote about Wagner conducting Beethoven's 5th: "Wagner, conducting a Court Concert at Dresden during the insurrection of 1848, felt his spirits sink as each number of the programme seemed to bring a deeper gloom over the audience, and gradually to extinguish all applause. Leaning down from his desk, he whispered to the leader of the violins, 'What is to be done?' 'Oh! go on,' said the leader, 'there is still the C-minor coming, and all will be right.' And so it was; for with the magic sound of the opening bars, everyone's spirit revived, applause burst from the benches, and it was as if a bright light shone into the room."


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## Lukecash12 (Sep 21, 2009)

Without a doubt Martin Luther should be on this list. His enduring musical, linguistic, philosophical, poetic, and theological contributions echo down the halls into this very generation.


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## Lukecash12 (Sep 21, 2009)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> I believe Takemitsu wrote and published a detective novel.......


For Pete's sake, I'll have to read it. He seems like enough of a giant already. Thanks for piling another literary reference onto this mountain on my chest.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

If Martin Luther, then certainly Hildegard von Bingen, the earliest named classical composer. Physician, theologian, administrator, traveling evangelist, political advisor, artist...


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

SONNET CLV said:


> But who could ever create such a work with Wagner himself dead?


Stockhausen's Licht cycle alone eclipses Wagner's accomplishments.


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## Lukecash12 (Sep 21, 2009)

Morimur said:


> Stockhausen's Licht cycle alone eclipses Wagner's accomplishments.


Hahahahaha, I'm going to grab myself a beer and watch the musket balls and grapeshot fly! Where's couchie when you need him?


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Anna Clyne- visual artist and composer.


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## Skilmarilion (Apr 6, 2013)

Not sure if anyone's mentioned Mendelssohn's brilliant paintings:


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## Centropolis (Jul 8, 2013)

Paul McCartney comes to mind.

As a composer, he wrote oratorios (Liverpool Oratorio and Ecce Cor Meum), scores for a ballet (Ocean's Kingdom), electronic music (albums by the Fireman), a song for video game “Destiny” and of course being part of the Beatles.

He also wrote and produced a short animated film for children called Rupert and the Frog Song. Published books on his paintings and poems.

Played just about every instrument that would go on a rock/pop album.


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## WJM (Mar 25, 2013)

maestro267 said:


> Ignacy Jan Paderewski - Composer, pianist, president of Poland.


Prime minister to be exact (for about a year).


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

An earlier thread: http://www.talkclassical.com/24620-smarter-than-average-composer.html


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