21 Insults: The Gentlemanly Art of (Musical) Insult

We live a a rude, oftentimes crude world.  One need not look too far to find something insulting or obnoxious. There was a time when insults were an art form.  Shakespeare is held up as a prime example of that, but I think that is only because most do not really understand Shakespearean English.  (Though "Thou pribbling dizzy-eyed foot-licker!" seems fairly clear)  You'll find some of Shakespeare's best-known insults set to music above. A list of musical insults, one composer to another, has been compiled.  A few you may recognize, but many you may not.  Tchaikovsky, Copland, Beethoven, and many more could turn an excellent phrase. Be sure to take notes. Read 21 of the Best Insults in Classical Music (Limelight Magazine)