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Music Notes: Mozart
By
David Amos
SAN
DIEGO—This
word can only mean one thing, and we all know what it is. If you use most proper
names such as Smith, Jones, Kaplan,
Finkelstein, or even Richter, Roosevelt, Rubinstein, Horowitz, Clinton, or Bush,
you could be talking about a variety of people, and you need
to be more specific. But others stand alone; we can only be referring to a
single individual: Tchaikovsky, Picasso, Dali, Beethoven, Brahms, Chagall,
Herzl, Shakespeare, and so on. We identify the icon with one word.
And so it
is with Mozart. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Few composers, or even people in
general in the history of civilization have captured our
imagination as much as Mozart has. Legend, lore, and true facts become
intertwined. We are bombarded with new books, films, research papers,
lectures, concerts and recitals, and plays about him. And during this
year, the 250th anniversary of his birth, we are likely to be further
inundated
with salutes, homages, special programs, festivals, and of course, his
music.
Not
that there is anything wrong with that, as a famous comedian’s quip goes, but
we have to be careful as to how much of all these celebrations
are honest tributes, and which ones border on commercialism and
exploitation.
Personally,
I cherish a lot of Mozart’s music. But not all of it. As with any major
composer, there are works that are good, very good, heavenly
inspired, functional, “OK,” and others that are, inevitably, hack works.
With the case of Mozart, we have a composer whose creativity flowed with
such ease that the proportion of good works is especially high. Listen to his Sinfonia Concertante for violin, viola and orchestra. Such balance
of
form, beauty, and inspiration are hard to describe in words.
Add to this the fact that following the Baroque period, around 1750, music took
a turn to the uncomplicated. Johann Sebastian Bach’s sons
and a few other composers promoted a simpler musical style, albeit short lived,
which we now call the Rococo. This set the stage for the music
of the Classical Period, whose two greatest exponents were Mozart and Franz
Joseph Haydn. And, as most of us know, the musical baton was
handed to Beethoven who, together with Schubert, was the link into the 19th
century and the Romantic Period.
In
Mozart’s case, we have music that has beauty and appeal because of its
simplicity, clarity, and directness. Personally, I find that during stressful
times in my life, listening to Mozart’s piano music, especially his piano
concertos, provide me with an unmistakably calming effect. Yes, I do think
that listening to Mozart and most other classical music we know and enjoy
can bring our blood pressure into healthier numbers.
But,
let’s put aside that ridiculous report of a few years ago, that claimed that
if we listen to Mozart, our IQ will increase. Parents were buying
anything that was available on Mozart, to expose their children to his music
with hopes of pumping more intelligent gray matter into their tots. There
were so many videos, books, and toys that hyped the magic benefits of Mozart,
that the real beauty and artistic value of what this composer has
to offer was mostly lost.
While
I find this to be quite absurd, I can say with the same certainty that I firmly
believe that children who are raised in a home where classical music
is routinely played, listened, respected, and enjoyed, do grow up to
become more balanced individuals, more disciplined students in all subject
matters,
and become better members of society through their involvement and/or
appreciation for the fine arts. Classical music is an indispensable contributor
to
a better life; I have no doubts about that. But it has to start at home.
I
suggest that you take the time to listen to the lesser-known works by Mozart,
where you are likely to find some marvelous surprises. His operas,
sonatas, ballet music, chamber music, concertos, divertimenti, works for winds,
and many more.
What is indisputable is that Mozart was a genius who transcended music,
compositions, and performance. While it is evident that he was emotionally
and socially challenged, his mental abilities, memory, and a sense of artistic
balance, made him one of the most intelligent human beings in recorded
history.
Some
of his music is simply utilitarian; that is, composed for a specific purpose as
requested by royalty, and was probably performed while everyone
in the room was talking and eating. It was not even meant for serious, quiet
listening, as we tend to visualize. But some (or many) of his other works are
brimming with that intangible mark of greatness, which inspire and elevate us
time after time. And for those of you in the periphery of this subject, I can
promise that every time you listen to the same great work again, you will
accumulate additional insights and pleasure from the experience. There are
hidden jewels that only become evident after multiple hearings.
But,
believe it or not, there are many intelligent, informed people who are deeply
involved in music and music making, who are devout Mozart haters.
Sometime in the near future, I will present to you the other side of the coin,
an essay by one of the leaders of the opposition.