Hungarian composer Bela Bartok's musical training began at the family piano, where his mother gave him lessons after realizing that the boy was a musical prodigy: he had perfect rhythm at the age of two, and could play dozens of folk tunes by heart at the age of four. As a young man, Bartok traveled

20th-century music, Anxiety, Bombast, Dissonant, Dramatic, Grand

By all accounts, Peter Tchaikovsky was an emotionally troubled man. He suffered from nervous depression, which was heightened by the constant social presssure to hide his homosexuality. The composer had affairs with women and even married Antonina Miliukova -- with disastrous emotional effects to bot

Dark, Dramatic, Elegant, Grand, Lush, Psychological, Romantic music, Voluminous

Philippe Starck appears to be something of a wunderkind in the design world -- many see his persona as a combination of the outrageous "bad boy" and the traditional French "je ne sais quoi." In fact, his foray into the world of design stems from somewhat dark, existential roots. As the story goes,

Biomorphic, Dramatic, Joyful, Late modern, Monochromatic, Sensual, Spiritual

"Have mercy on me," said Henry Kissinger as he was about to be photographed by Richard Avedon. Avedon was known for his ability to lay bare the souls of his subjects, often photographing them against totally white or otherwise stark backgrounds. At one time, Avedon was the highest paid fashion an

Documentary photography, Dramatic, Elegant, Eroticism , Fashion photography, Gritty, Intimate, Severe, Spare