Mariana Cirne wrote:

>Well, I'm not a musician, and I wouldn't go so far as to say that Mozart
>was a bad composer, but I could say I'm having a hard time understanding
>Mozart.  I'll just go right out and say it:  most of the time he bores me
>silly.  His music is lacking in emotion.  I always say it must be some
>fault of mine, maybe I need to get in on some secret to enjoying him.
>Can someone recommend any introduction to Mozart?

Since I think Mozart is the very pinnacle of music, and musical emotion,
maybe I should offer a path to enjoying his music -- actually, two paths:
first, listen backwards in greatness, from the string quintet masterpieces
(g minor, C major, Eb major) through the piano quartets and the string
quartets, then the late piano concerti and the last 2 symphonies, then the
Marriage of Figaro.  Ignore everything else, since many pieces by Mozart
that still get played are by a teenager if not an adolescent.  (I know,
this exaggerates -- there are many more very good mature pieces...)

And second, do the reverse -- find a recording of his 8 year old works,
or look at the score, and marvel at the rapidity and astounding range of
his growth --- move through the violin concerti, the early choral works,
and the early symphonies and piano concerti.

William Copper
composer and Mozart lover
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