[quote name='Earbrass' post='1013005' date='Nov 5 2010, 09:36 AM']Let's look at it another way:
Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the most revered composers in music history. He had lost all his hearing ability by the time he wrote some of his greatest works (such as the late quartets).
My question is, [color="#FF0000"]would these works have been any more interesting, thrilling, or more accomplished, if he had been able to hear a goddam thing?[/color]Well. we'll never know, but does that in any way throw doubt on the assumption that in general it's better for a musician to have good hearing than to be stone deaf? Does it mean that wearing ear-plugs to protect our hearing is a waste of time?
If you can't be arsed to learn to read music, that's really up to you. But please spare us the b/s "reasons" as to why it doesn't matter. I doubt you're convincing anyone, even yourself [/quote]
Mahler though so which is why he reorchestrated some of Beethoven's works. I like to paraphrase Pratchett 'going deaf for Beethoven didn't stop him hearing the music, it just stopped him hearing the distractions'.