Quote:
Originally Posted by Seraphim
My objection is to the claim that training can somehow create a capacity that did not exist before. Training can only maximize the potential that's already there. Often that's good enough. But between people like Mozart, Handel or Bach who have both genius and skill and someone who is highly skilled but lacks genius the gap in performance is vast and obvious.
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Too bad that, like Gardener pointed out, unless you strictly define what "genius" is, your objection means nothing. One person's genius can be another's trash.
I personally don't think Mozart or Bach were geniuses, just people who had training and ideas. Anyone can come up with ideas and practice. The extent of what they do shouldn't be measured against anything existing, since nobody can be Mozart or Bach. They're already dead and gone. Likewise, comparing is for children. Art isn't a competition and treating it like one is counter productive.
People who talk so much of talent clearly have no idea what talent means, or they simply want to view the world in a light where unless you just "got lucky" and were born with whatever definition of talent is in fashion you're fucked to being forever "mediocre" and living in the shadow of the monoliths people make certain composers to be.
Lame and useless.