Mike Leghorn wrote:

>Listen (if that's possible) to the first eight notes of Beethoven's op.
>132, then listen to the 3rd movement of Mozart's 41st (the middle, trio
>section).  If you aren't struck and impressed by the similarity, then I
>recommend that you take up another interest besides music.

Look at the score (if that's possible) and tell me exactly which measures
of the Mozart you mean, and tell me exactly which VOICES in the Beethoven
you are matching up.  I have both scores here.  My mind is open.

HOWEVER:

I'm getting VERY tired of the whining you are doing when Margaret Mikulska
(who probably knows as much about music as anyone IN this forum) took the
time to give a good answer and was met with total rejection.  So what if
she does not embrace your own "discovery?" That is no reason to insult her
or to make assumptions about her expertise.

There are many people here who DO listen, but there are also many here
who are able read music and like to compare scores.  You err when you (and
others) belittle the "intellectual" approach or think by some magic that
it is possible to separate intellect and emotion when listening to music.

You are not the first person who has heard little snatches of one piece
of music that remind him of another.  That is one of the great pleasures
of knowing lots of music.  It was also Leonard Bernstein's passion.
Many times in his lectures he'd pull up several pieces of music that
had similarities.  It was a great parlor trick.  We enjoyed the "ahah."

Literary people also enjoy quotations, and some put them in their books,
hoping that other like-minded souls will know where they came from
originally, and also know the context and get double fun from knowing
and juxtaposing.

Similarities are fine to find in music and literature, and I'm glad you
shared with us, but it's a little curiosity that you found and not a huge
milestone of discovery.

Mimi Ezust