Pablo Massa:

>Does anyone knows what's exactly the so called "Mozart Effect"?.  I've
>heard about it something like this: that the music of Mozart has a high
>incidence at the development of intelligence when used with kids for
>educational purposes.  Is this correct (or true)?.  Why Mozart, then?,
>why not a "Haydn effect"?.

As I understand it, kids about to take tests were subjected to classical
music.  Compared to their fellows who hadn't heard the music, they did
a little better.  However, the effect was apparently only temporary.

As to why it's Mozart's and not Haydn's effect, that would be because,
since no one has recently made a popular movie of Haydn's life, Mozart
is just about the only classical composer people in the United States
currently know ("Immortal Beloved" hasn't yet been re-released on DVD
in a director's cut).

Steve Schwartz