Is there anybody here from France ?

Quote from nononsense:

Bach's art was the unification of German, French and Italian musical art form. His son Wilhelm Friedeman said about him: " His work will not be surpassed till eternity". He probably knew something about this.

Mozart is rather decadent as compared to Bach. Wagner, let's leave him out.

Want some authority on this: read Glenn Gould's writings about the relative merit of musical art forms.
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Mozart decadent? Yes, maybe, but a genius. Like Wagner.
 
Quote from Kicking:

I can't speak for these languages and cultures although it seems some Germanic languages such as Dutch integrate a lot of English . I think the obsession French people have about protecting their culture and language is really a French peculiarity. When people want to fight for their language and culture it's because they have long been losing ground in other areas. That said in the longer term other languages will progressively become to international English what dialects are to a nation's official language. And that's a good thing the day when everybody drinks Coke and eats burgers( I mean adopt the american-western world culture, I actually hate junk food) there will be less wars, picture a uniform world one language , one culture . It's as close as you can get from a peaceful world . This is what the Romans achieved through war with the Pax Romana, in the coming decades this can be done through trade .
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The western worlds culture are not Coke or burgers. but French wine and food, Sartre (french) and Heidegger (german), Picasso (spanish) and Van Gogh (dutch), Wagner (german) and Bizet (french), Hans Christian Andersen (danish) and Thomas Mann (german). They came all from Europe, but from different european cultures.
 
Quote from Kicking:

I can't speak for these languages and cultures although it seems some Germanic languages such as Dutch integrate a lot of English . I think the obsession French people have about protecting their culture and language is really a French peculiarity. When people want to fight for their language and culture it's because they have long been losing ground in other areas. That said in the longer term other languages will progressively become to international English what dialects are to a nation's official language. And that's a good thing the day when everybody drinks Coke and eats burgers( I mean adopt the american-western world culture, I actually hate junk food) there will be less wars, picture a uniform world one language , one culture . It's as close as you can get from a peaceful world . This is what the Romans achieved through war with the Pax Romana, in the coming decades this can be done through trade .
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If the world would be simpler with only one language spoken by everybody, it would also be simpler if we all ate burgers. Seriously Kicking, I think you're a smart guy -- you are aware of the basic arguments to be expected in a debate of this nature -- but you are in a phase of your life where you're over-compensating for what you see and don't like, and where basic logic and culture still clash.
 
Quote from Wittgenstein:

The western worlds culture are not Coke or burgers. but French wine and food, Sartre (french) and Heidegger (german), Picasso (spanish) and Van Gogh (dutch), Wagner (german) and Bizet (french), Hans Christian Andersen (danish) and Thomas Mann (german). They came all from Europe, but from different european cultures.
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Hey Wittie,

You come over like some kind of a cheap wino in your laudation of European culture. "The western worlds culture are not Coke or burgers. but French wine and food ..." (sic). Using a lifelong demi-bum like Sartre as sole reference to French plilosphy est un peu pauvre, voire inculte.

Your "Coke or burgers" reference points unmistakably to a nation that you must hate. You clearly share these feelings with many other Europeans frustrated about the sad state of nothingness they brought onto themselves by their own 'free' choice. BTW your 'German' hero Heidegger got himself stuck till over his ears in that crazy nazi muck. ("Heidegger not only cooperated with the educational policies of the National Socialist government but also offered it his enthusiastic public support.")

Don't forget that many, many Europeans have voted with their feet during more than a century now. It seems that by the time Heidegger's buddies were through & finished, no thinking person was left in Europe (except perhaps your commie genius Sartre). Do I have to draw you a little list of German/Austrian talent that fled out of free choice for your "Coke or burgers" country? They preferred it to Buchenwald or Auswitzch. In fact your above example Thomas Mann also belongs into the category of those who voted with their feet.

BTW, Ludwig Wittgenstein that you grabbed your alias from also left his native Austria (he worked in Southern Germany as well) and freely elected to spend the rest of his life with English speaking people.
 
Quote from nononsense:

Hey Wittie,

You come over like some kind of a cheap wino in your laudation of European culture. "The western worlds culture are not Coke or burgers. but French wine and food ..." (sic). Using a lifelong demi-bum like Sartre as sole reference to French plilosphy est un peu pauvre, voire inculte.

Your "Coke or burgers" reference points unmistakably to a nation that you must hate. You clearly share these feelings with many other Europeans frustrated about the sad state of nothingness they brought themselves in by their own 'free' choice. BTW your 'German' hero Heidegger got himself stuck till over his ears in that crazy nazi muck. ("Heidegger not only cooperated with the educational policies of the National Socialist government but also offered it his enthusiastic public support.")

Don't forget that many, many Europeans have voted with their feet during more than a century now. It seems that by the time Heideggers buddies were through & finished, no thinking person was left in Europe (except perhaps your genius Sartre). Do I have to draw you a little list of German/Austrian talent that fled out of free choice for your "Coke or burgers" country? In fact your above example Thomas Mann also belongs into the category of those who voted with their feet.

BTW, Ludwig Wittgenstein that you grabbed your alias from also left his native Austria (he worked in Southern Germany as well) and freely elected to spend the rest of his life with English speaking people.
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I have nothing against US - but I prefer Frech (or Italian) wine and food when the other choice is coke and burgers.
Yes, Ludwig Wittgenstein left Austria to become a professor in Cambridge. It was in 1928 - 5 years before Hitler came to power i Germany.
But my point was: Europe has many cultures, but it's not multicultural like US.
 
Quote from Wittgenstein:

I have nothing against US - but I prefer Frech (or Italian) wine and food when the other choice is coke and burgers.
Yes, Ludwig Wittgenstein left Austria to become a professor in Cambridge. It was in 1928 - 5 years before Hitler came to power i Germany.
But my point was: Europe has many cultures, but it's not multicultural like US.
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The known facts about Ludwig Wittgenstein's leaving Austria & Germany have nothing to do with an appointment in Cambridge. He didn't like what he saw in those days. Perhaps he smelled Hitler coming already? Many others also did. The fact is that he left first for Scandinavia to work as a lumberjack. Apparently nobody had the wisdom in Austria & Germany to spot this remarkable genius. From far away, Russell however did and invited him to Cambridge where he first obtained his Ph.D.. (Your nazi Heidegger couldn't find him! :D )
He had done a lot of remarkable things though in Germany & Austria. He was a genial engine designer (at MAN?) and build as sole designer & architect a beautiful palace for his sister that you still can admire & visit in Vienna (only cultured persons are admitted).
 
Quote from Wittgenstein:

Well, what about Bach, Mozart and Wagner?
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I love them all, Bacj is one great genius, Mozart though was Autrian. Wagner ...well I wont go there :)

Let me add some more, Paganini, Guiseppe Verdi, Antonio Vivaldi, Giacomo Rossini, but then we could also move to Russia, with Peter Illich Tschaikovski, Igor Stravinski, or Poland with Frederic Chopin (to many think heis french) back to Germany you forgot Ludwig von Beethoven, Finland with Jean Sibelius, export to the US with Dvorak...so all over Europe they came.
Lets not forget the US greats as in Aaron Coplan, George Gerschin, etc.
Oh yes lets not forget the great BB King other stile but still one of the greats.
In order world Music is universal.
They communicate in an international language.
 
Quote from Kicking:

In the global era English is what Latin was in the Roman Empire . It's totally OK to address someone in English and expect to be understood. I disagree with your assertion that French is a richer language, every year new words are added to the English dictionnary. French by contrast no longer evolves Intellectuals in France (who gather way too much respect IMO) agressively defend a strict adherence to classic French. Many words that everyone now uses cannot be found in the dictionnary. It's completely ridiculous, French is a "langue morte" such as Latin today . English is immensely richer, I am saying this because I know. French is my mother tongue. Just think about the many different ways you can say " to have sex" in English vs French or just the fields of finance and IT for which the use of the French language feels so inadequate

As for people being mean it was not to be taken in the context of attitude vis a vis visitors and tourists, I was talking about the everyday life , dealing with people, the horrible customer service, people insulting you , giving you the bird in traffic, agressive people in discos etc..
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Well Kicking French is actually a much more precise language then english, sorry to bust your buble.
By the way speaking of dominant language in the future, forget english. You need to get down and learn how to speak chinese.
They are the new world power in case you have not yet realised that.
 
Quote from nononsense:

Very true, for those who only know French!
:D
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Well let me see, I speak French, English, German ,Italien, Spanish, learning chinese.....so lets see.....
 
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