Rostropovich Dead at 80

Composer saw creatures emerging from piano

(NEWSER) - The 19th-century composer Frédéric Chopin suffered frightening hallucinations, ranging from ghosts to creatures coming out of his piano. Now, researchers believe the visions may have been prompted by temporal lobe epilepsy, the Daily Telegraph reports. The disease can cause short, detailed hallucinations, and “could easily have been overlooked by Chopin’s doctors,” researchers note in Medical Humanities . More»

Tech assist enhances classical experience

(NEWSER) - In a bid to win over multitaskers and technophobes, the National Symphony Orchestra will tweet along with tonight's performance of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, the Washington Post reports. Audience members with appropriate gadgets can sit in a special section on the lawn at Wolf Trap, in suburban Virginia, and follow posts from the conductor. More»

(NEWSER) - Michael Jackson died today after suffering cardiac arrest at home and arriving at the hospital in a deep coma, report TMZ and the Los Angeles Times. The King of Pop, 50, was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital this afternoon after collapsing. A police rep said he was not breathing when paramedics arrived; they performed CPR and took him to the UCLA Medical Center. More»

Stubbs' baritone was featured on many Motown hits

(NEWSER) - Baritone Levi Stubbs, the heart of the Four Tops, died today in Detroit at age 72, the Detroit News reports. With Abdul Fakir, Lawrence Payton and Renaldo Benson, Stubbs recorded many iconic hits of the Motown era, including Bernadette, Reach Out (I’ll Be There), and Standing in the Shadows of Love. On his own, he was the voice of Audrey the carnivorous plant in the 1986 film version of Little Shop of Horrors. More»

Creator of world's longest opera inspired many, including the Beatles

(NEWSER) - Karlheinz Stockhausen, the controversial composer who wrote the world's longest opera—29 hours, to be played over 7 days—has died at the age of 79, the Guardian reports. Though he inspired the Beatles and won high critical acclaim, Stockhausen also snubbed modern music trends and received little mainstream acceptance during a prolific career. More»