The Great Composer Quiz – October 8, 2020
This time, it’s a Quiz which is the inverse of the old proverb “Those who can, do, and those who can’t, teach. Of all the Great Composers who taught at a university this one was probably the most exasperating teacher. In his late 30s he taught at a famous conservatory of music, which had been founded by a friend of his, another Great Composer. Our Great Composer was frequently described as a subdued teacher. He offered no advice to students, no criticism either. In class he listened dreamily to the efforts of his students, with his mouth puckered in a peculiar way as if whistling to himself. He would return home without having offered much to his students, nonetheless he was invariably physically exhausted and emotionally drained. His tenure lasted less than a year. So who was this poor pedagogue, this Great Composer?