We're Running Out of Geniuses: RIP Milton Babbitt

Yesterday, due to unknown causes (perhaps simply from old age), avant-garde composer and innovator of the first synthesizer, Milton Babbitt, passed away. Babbitt was known for his brilliant and complex compositions and musical theories extremely advanced for his time.  In fact, Princeton didn't honor his dissertation on the 12-tone system of modern composers until 46 years after the fact, awarding him his doctorate at 75 years old in 1992 (Princeton admits retrospectively that they were unable to properly evaluate something so ahead of its time).  As one of the first electronic composers with over 60 compositions under his belt, Babbitt will be remembered and missed.