Chopin and the Nature of Genius - Firinn Taisdeal January 16, 2013

Chopin was a musical genius. Yet what do we mean by "genius," exactly? Is genius only a matter of specialized brain function, or is it the result of specific character qualities operating over time? After all, in every era there are prodigies, but most prodigies only go on to become former prodigies, not geniuses. What accounts for the difference between a prodigy who becomes a genius, and one who only becomes a former prodigy? Can someone who was never a prodigy become a genius? Can you become a genius?

We will examine the nature of genius, specifically as a cluster of four character qualities, using Chopin as an example.

Forty minutes of the music of Chopin will be included, in recordings by several different pianists, demonstrating different aspects of the genius of Chopin, specifically derived from four character qualities.

Firinn Taisdeal is the speaker for this presentation.

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