Your Bookshelf in Parallel Universe R

[sartorias]

zornhau has the coolest idea that he nipped from a friend.

In universe R, what's on your bookshelf? Here are a few of mine:

Comments

[avengangle]

On my bookshelf I have the book on orchestration that Ravel finally got around to writing, just before he died.

I've also got a letter from Beethoven explaining to the world who the Immortal Beloved is, and guess what? My Beethoven professor (who has since passed away) was right!

(Yeah, OK, I'm still a music nerd.)

[sartorias]

I want to borrow that Ravel book, hoo yeah.

Not sure I could handle knowing who the Beloved was--the B. being such a weird, weird guy.

[avengangle]

Well, maybe in this wonderful alternate reality, he was a little less weird, and he could have married her. Or something.

[sartorias]

That's right! In that universe, he didn't have the headaches or ear problems, his social ills melted away. He was as productive as ever, despite his happy home life and many musical children.

[deadache139]

But if Beethoven wasn't deaf and difficult, his music would be different, and maybe not in a good way.

[sartorias]

perhaps--but in the next universe, taking his pain away inspires him to even better work.

Music loving

[tetkamorovja]

And don't forget Beethoven's fruitful friendship with Clara Schumann, who left her husband at an early stage, to continue with her own successful and innovative compositional career.

Re: Music loving

[sartorias]

Yes!

Re: Music loving

[tritoneclarinet]

The question is does Clara still have to deal with Brahms being a letch though?

Re: Music loving

[sartorias]

Somebody took Brahms aside and cautioned him not to "be that guy."

Re: Music loving

[tritoneclarinet]

And he consequently realized that yes, you can have both music and a love life, and settled down with a nice soprano and had twenty children.... He always did idolize Bach a bit too much. :)

He and Wagner continued to have their little wars, although they were more affectionate than anything else. Wagner, for his part, realized the error of his ways, and instead of becoming a parasitic anti-Semite, was one of the most influential voices in the Prussian Empire on tolerance and pursuing ethnic diversity in his homeland.

Re: Music loving

[sartorias]

YES!

[tritoneclarinet]

Translation: He didn't have syphilis?

[sartorias]

In Universe R, STDs are yet to be invented.

[tritoneclarinet]

Were that this was true in the real world, alas.