Amadeus is one of my favorite movies and I love two scenes in particular:
1) When Mozart re-composes the tune the court composer composed for the king to play when Mozart entered that room *right there* on the spot
2) When Mozart is working on a piece on his pool table and we can hear the full symphony going but it's all in his head
Those two scenes *alone* always leave a big smile on my face.
That got me wondering, who would be considered a "modern day" Mozart? I've had discussions like this before and Prince has been named. Personally, I can't answer this question as I'm not sure who I could really name.
So, I'm posing this to YOU to get your thoughts....
close. Mozart was amazing the masters when he was still practically in diapers. He foreshadowed the coming Romantic period. His Concerti Grossi were basically the beginnings of the modern symphony. He was not as prolific as Bach, but then he didn't live even half as long, and most of his works were much better. The problem is, that even if there were such a prodigy arise today, I don't know that he/she would ever be recognized. The pop and rock cultures are a terrible format for the recognition of true musical genius...the producers will turn anything innovative into a canned production in a heartbeat. If the prodigy goes into classical, the exposure is so limited, they will never get the recognition they deserve. BTW, the court composer was Paganini, no slouch himself, yet at age 12 Mozart made him look silly, something he never forgave him for.
Everytime I attend a string quartet or a full orchestra to listen to classical stuff, I always share this story.
Mozart just composed a piano piece (a nice concierto) and he handed the piece to Haydn. Haydn, being a pianist himself, played the piece. Then, he suddenly froze and stopped playing in the middle the rendition. And he said "Mozart, this particular part is impossible to play. You need to have 11 fingers to do it."
Mozart said " Nonsense. Move over." And Mozart began to playe his piece. Once Mozart reached that difficult part, where all his ten fingers were already on the piano keyboards, he then dipped his nose on to the 11th keyboard. And he gave Haydn a smile as he continued to finished the piece.
You should not miss the Mozart museum there. Yep, he started composing at a tender age but he also died young (30s). He had a pauper's burial in Vienna. Until now, no one knows where his grave it. It's a pity. But if you are in Salzburg, Mozart's sister is buried side by side with Haydn.
BTW, the folks, stores, and establishments in Salzburg only play Mozart .. nothing else.
After Wolfgang died, Constanze, his wife married a Danish diplomat and they moved back to his home in Copenhagen. He died, too, and on his tombstone,Constanze had carved, "Here lies the body of Mozart's wife's second husband." True story.
Mozart was traveling, and had stopped in a small town (I don't remember which one). He was, however, short of money. The local orchestra asked him if he had a symphony with him they could perform, but he did not. He, however, needed the money, so he told them he did, and arranged to give it to them the next day. He then went to his rooms, and wrote a new symphony for them, which he delivered to them the next day. The way he described it was that he composed the first movement in his head, then while he was writing down the first movement, he was composing the second movement in his head. When he was finished writing down the first movement, he started writing down the second movement, while composing the third movement in his head.
I have heard people who evaluate others professional skills describe Mozart as the best person at any job ever - he was better at his job than anyone else has ever been in any job.
So, no, there is no Mozart today. Frank Zappa had some of that, things like the ability to come up with music that no one has heard before; but even he did not have the ability to just hear it.
Music, of course, is very subjective. My preference has always been Beethoven to Mozart, but that's just me.
However, I would have to strongly demure with your following quote..."... I have heard people who evaluate others professional skills describe Mozart as the best person at any job ever - he was better at his job than anyone else has ever been in any job...."
That's really a load of nonsense. In the fields of science and engineering, there are any number of historical figures that outperformed Mozart in terms of signficant output and impact, including Archimedes, Galileo, Newton, Einstein, Edison, Feynman etc.
People who claim that Mozart was the "best at his job" should get out more.
Well, as I said, I did not say it myself. And no one was saying that his end product was better than, say, Beethoven. They were simply saying he was more efficient, and his mind was better suited to what he was doing.
For myself, no one has ever written a piece of orchestral music better than the Requiem Mass, and the first part of Mozart's "Hayden Quartets," is my absolute favorite piece of chamber music. For the most part, however, I have always preferred Stravinsky over any other classical composer.
Wayne Shorter gets my vote. His music has always been lucid and beautiful, at the edge of his chosen genre while still being accessible and able to bring the listener along on his fantastic journey. Wayne, like Mozart, by the original and personal power of his vision transcends labels and pat definitions. Also like Mozart, Wayne is a virtuoso of the highest degree with a most personal sound and approach to Soprano and Tenor Saxophones.
to see Bach music. Unfortunately, we were rained out but we still heard a pianist play in a very small room instead. I love chamber music. It stirs something in me. Growl . . . down kitty, down.
that chamber music is known to enhance and embrace the rhythms of the heartbeat. I won't say what goes against it, but remember how you feel when...
And CiCi you should join me for a night at the Hollywood Bowl under the summer sky listening to Vivaldi (or your choice). Unfortunately I have not gotten to Italy yet, and I cannot possibly imagine how your heart must have nearly burst with joy when you heard the concerts...
Here, back at the Ranch, The Hollywood Bowl ...
The concerts with the combination of the summer evening breeze under the stars is so wonderful it breaks my heart. Every time. Listening to Andre Watts do Rachmaninoff nearly rolled me under the seat in front of me. Even if it's not chamber, still. And then there is Rimsky Korsakev (sp) doing Scherazade. Killer. Hrrrmph.
The classical series are wonderful. All of them.
Pfffffffffffffft. (FiFi orgastically giving up the ghost for the night.)
someone ever-so-lightly licking up the body from toes to neck, slowing swirling the tongue in each crevass, then pulling away, waiting for the next lick in anticipation. Slow movements that seem like an eternity are sexy and stimulating. Taking your time -- that's what's it's all about. Of course, a good spankin' and "fuck me, please fuck me" is good too. Sorry. I know -- I'm so verrrrrry bad.
I would love to gently suck and lick all your toes and move my tongue in very very slow motion inch by inch up your long legs and going to all those erotic crevasses and watch you squirm in delight. By all means, I will be very patience and tease you for another soft tongue movement from your crevasses to your belly button to your nipples and up to your neck. I can do this for an hour LOL. Have to book at least 3 hours to do this. And of course when my tongue has to start playing with your tongue in soft swirls and more swirls gently around the moist and soft lining of lips .. hmmm .. until you start to get more intense tongue swirling and lockin as I grab your round ass. Delicious ... maybe 6 hours will go bye as I continue to tease you will baby soft kiss all around your body like feather being swirled inch by inch arcoss your soft skin and as my soft non-callous hands tenderly carress your back, hips, nipples, and soft behind.
a fight between Rocky Marciano and Mohammed Ali. The two were from such different eras, styles, motivations, etc., that there is really no valid comparison. If your favorite flavor is Baroque, you would prefer Bach (or maybe Vivaldi, Correlli) but for the Classical period, Wolfgang ist am besten. IMO, Mozart is much more sophisticated than Bach, though I love Bach, with the exception of Tocatta and Fugue. To this day, that one sounds bizarre, like nothing else Bach ever wrote. Put it in any horror flick and it will raise goosebumps!
...but he died broke and hopefully with a smile on his face. Thanks to the hobby he had many "suppliers" I am told... I can not confirm their gender however.
Having been raised on classical and opera, I was pretty limited, except for the fact that I dance, which blew it wide open for me. Still a discussion like this is soooo subjective.
Who is MOST brilliant? I don't know I just feel lucky to have so much available to me. More music than my heart can hold. So I am at a loss for this intellectual (?) critique.
Still, yours is a fascinating and thought provoking question. I am thrilled you asked. What your post did for me was helped me stay in a place where I can think about what I LOVE. Thank you.
There is no modern composer to compare, and least none in the public eye. While subjective, he was probably the greatest ever, humbling even the greats Bach and Beethoven.
It is a great tragedy that he died in his mid 30's. Some of his greatest music was composed in the last year of his life. Verdi composed great music into his 80's. Imagine if Mozart had lived a full life, what music would have been left to us!
Joel performed this at the 9/21/2001 "Tribute To Heroes" telethon to benefit victims of the terrorist attacks on the U.S.
To honor the rescue workers who lost their lives in the tragedy, Joel played with the helmet of one of the New York City Firefighters who died in The World Trade Center on his piano.
As he played...I cried and smiled at the same time...
New York State of Mind
Some folks like to get away, Take a holiday from the neighborhood Hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood But I'm takin' a Greyhound on the Hudson River line I'm in a New York state of mind
I've seen all the movie stars in their fancy cars and their limousines Been high in the Rockys under the evergreens I know what I'm needin', and I don't wanna waste more time I'm in a New York state of mind
It was so easy livin' day by day Out of touch with the rhythym and blues But now I need a little give and take The New York Times, the Daily News
It comes down to reality, and it's fine with me cause I've let it slide I don't care if it's Chinatown or on Riverside I don't have any reasons I left them all behind I'm in a New York state of mind Oh yeah
It was so easy living day by day Out of touch with the rhythym and blues But now I need a little give and take The New York Times, the Daily News Who, oh, oh whoa who
It comes down to reality, and it's fine with me cause I've let it slide I don't care if it's Chinatown or on Riverside I don't have any reasons I left them all behind I'm in a New York state of mind
I'm just taking a Greyhound on the Hudson River line Cause I'm in a, I'm in a New York state of mind
After tennis, music is my main interest. I've evolved from pop and rock to classical. My tastes are eclectic. IMHO the partnership of Lennon and McCartney created the best pop music. Their music will live on. They had a brilliant synergy.
I also think Gershwin was a musical genius. His music in tuneful as well as being intricate.
I don't know jazz and blues as well as I should, but I'm sure some of it will still have meaning in the future.
Interesting to note a name that no one has mentioned yet--Stevie Wonder. Remember he was 12 years old and already playing monster harmonica and piano when he made his first record. Talking Book shows him virtually playing every instrument. I've tried that on my own and to hear how well he did it is nothing short of amazing. I met him once, and I felt I was in the presence of something very, very special. Clearly he was no Mozart, but then, who is? You can't really compare popular/folk-based music to classical music of any period, I think. But it's a fun topic.
Credence Clearwater Revival (CCR); The Doobie Brothers; Marvin Gaye; The Eagles; Van Morrison; Jackson Browne; James Taylor; Carol King; Carlie Simon; Joan Baez; Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; Led Zeppelin (sp); The Doors; Billie Holliday; Ray Charles; Smokey Robinson; Nat King Cole; Louis Armstrong (Sachmo); and lots more. Brings back memories, eh?
Credence Clearwater Revival (CCR); The Doobie Brothers; Marvin Gaye; The Eagles; Van Morrison; Jackson Browne; James Taylor; Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; Led Zeppelin (sp); The Doors; Ray Charles; Smokey Robinson; Nat King Cole; Louis Armstrong (Sachmo); and lots more. Brings back memories, eh?
Sure does!...Not that I don't care for the other names... (Who can forget that Carol king album?)
but I have CD's on all of the above...Great taste! yummie...lol
In the jazz world, the following certainly have a musical genius akin to Mozart's: Armstrong, Ellington, Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Clifford Brown, John Coltrane.
Btw, in earlier classical music, I would add Claudio Monteverdi (esp. for the Vespers of 1610, and his operas0.
I would also disagree that Bach's music is only "mathematics"; listen to the following sacred and secular cantatas, and you will hear the soul of his music: "Aus der Tiefen" (BWV 131); "Wachet Auf" (BWV 140); Coffee Cantata (BWV 211). Also, listen to the St. John and St. Matthew Passions.
these days that are INCREDIBLY beautiful...... Also, Bernard Herrmann wrote some love themes in Vertigo and F.451 that equal anything from anybody from any time............BTW. I'm gonna show up at FiFi's one of these nights with a RAVEL CD (no, not Bolero!).....
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