If your ladder of love ends with the sublime Mozart and you draw comparisons to Beethoven then, naturally, I would assume that you are talking about classical music. You make a statement about the emotional range of Mozart but back up nothing, as if Mozart by virtue of being Mozart should be reason enough to convince anyone. You are buying into cliches. What you attribute to me as levelling is nothing but your unquestionable belief that these towering musicians are truly untouchable. That nothing within the pop or rock world will ever match their genius. This is the absurd form of snobbish elitism that people usually associate with classical music. You are like those society snobs in Marx Brothers "A Night at the Opera," even though you believe classical music doesn't exist.
I don't know what world you're living on, but on the planet earth there is such a thing as classical music It's ironic, that one minute you acknowledge classical music and point to examples of Falstaff and the Magic Flute and the next you are denying its existence. You've already admitted that you have contradicted yourself in the previous post, so I'm not terribly surprised when it happens again. Please, try making up your mind.
Initially you said, "At root, you seem to believe that all "cultures" are equal-- they are not." Not being equal implies a certain of rank and order to music. So far you are making the case that not only is Dimebag Darrell inferior to Mozart but the whole of rock culture is inferior, that it is "moronic and stupid," that John Lennon could never be a Beethoven. But this is precisely what I'm asking you to "prove." Whether it be the Indian culture opposed to the European culture, or rock music opposed to classical music, what proof do you have that they are not equal, that one is inferior or superior to the other? By stating that there is no such thing as classical music you are bypassing your own remarks and skirting the whole issue. God forbid, next you'll being saying there is no such thing as rock music! I'm sure you'll be a hit at those dinner parties!
Addressed to another, "So far you are making the case that not only is Dimebag Darrell inferior to Mozart but the whole of rock culture is inferior..."
I have quite a wide range of appreciation and preferences in music styles, genres, etc., including truly authentic Blues (w/acoustic guitar), New Orleans Jazz, Beatles, Baroque, et al. But, the only aspect where Hard Metal Rock is superior to all other musical styles/genres is its harsh cacaphony. A marching band made up of a hundred out-of-tune Bagpipe drones is sweeter and more inspiring, and less terrifying than Hard Rock...stampeding Camels and Crows...and other sensitive animals.
It's plain UGLY racketity riffs - not really music. Just my opinion...in preservation of my nervous system.
Thank God for free speech and tolerance...and Bach.
Merry Christmas...Happy Mannheim Steamroller too!