[Harp-L] Re: Virtuosity

["lists" <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Your bar is pretty high too. I like your definition except some 
> exceptional artists remain unknow. Although if you're the best alive you 
> should be know by a good many. Also your definition may alow someone 
> like Eminem to be called a virtuoso, I think a lot of people would have 
> a problem with that. Then what about Little Walter? Stevie Ray Vaughan? 
> Can virtuoso's be by style or instrument or can you only certain styles 
> of music have virtuosos? Are rappers and blues enthousiasts allowed to 
> have virtuosos? You suggested the "best alive and possibly the best 
> ever", that also might fit Eminem (I don't know rappers much). 
>
> Perhaps your definition just needs to be refined a bit to exclude 
> unwanted artists i.e. at least rappers ;-). I guess were trying to set 
> firm  boundaries on a idea.

I think the limit is simply the genres of music where virtuosity is 
considered an asset, a goal to achieve. Hence classical, some styles of 
jazz, heavy metal spring to mind. For musical genres that focus mainly on 
feeling, social expression, etc. it seems to me that virtuosity is not 
necessarily an appropriate description and/or a compliment. Quite often do I 
read about virtuosity opposed to feeling in blues reviews. 

As for rap, not only is it a music where social content was originally more 
relevant than musical expression, it's also a style that does not focus 
mainly on vocal acrobatics, so the term of virtuosity (to me) seems wholly 
appropriate. 

However, not to re-spark an old debate, the wholesale condemnation of rap 
seems to me to be a bit ignorant (sorry Pierre !). Not that I'm a specialist 
or listen to rap often, but there's a lot of interesting stuff in rap that 
I've been given to hear, and like it or not it's a musical genre that has 
inspired a lot of other musical genres. There's rap / hip-hop influences 
today in jazz, rock, metal, heck even blues if you count the early G Love 
and Special Sauce or Chris Thomas King as borderline blues...