Saturday, November 05, 2005
Mozart
Ah, Mozart, what music to dream by. There really is no comparison. He knew music...No! he WAS music. (How else do you explain his eccentric human (?) behavior?) This man was writing operas at an age when most of us were still picking our noses. If you don't know anything about him, there are some fabulous books at your local library, including his published correspondences, "Mozart's Letters, Mozart's Life" which you might find enlightening. Although it contains a few character compilations and fictionalized twists, the movie, "Amadeus", which shows his spontaneity and personal issues alongside his genius, is quite entertaining and informing, and is also available in most libraries and learning centers. I'm not sure about it's availability on the market now, but it was an academy award winner back in the 80s starring Tom Hulce as Mozart. However, the best way to get to know the inside of the man is simply to listen to what came from inside of him...his music. Classical music is cheap and abundant. You can download it from just about anywhere, PBS is constantly playing something of his, and tapes and CDs, since classical is just not the most popular form of music nowadays, are very inexpensive. I can pretty much guarantee that if you've watched the "looney Toons" cartoons (Bugs, Daffy, etc.), you've been exposed to Mozart, along with a host of other "classical" composers, and everyone has heard "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik". However, the most beautiful of his music, in my opinion, is the Requiem. He didn't finish it, and there is a distinct "line" between what he completed and what his predecessor finished up. (Mozart's is better.)
I really hope that those of you who read my blog will find the time to truly discover Mozart. (I will discuss the scientific advantages of listening to his music at a later date.) Your intellect will thank you.
