A few list members have seemed frustrated and bewildered as to Mozart's
high level of popularity in the classical music community.  Being a Mozart
fan, I've been giving this some thought over the past two days.  Why is he
so popular? And I've thought in terms of linking strong Mozart musical
traits to what most folks seem to want in their music.

My conclusions are:

1.  Most listeners look for and want melodies in the music they listen
to.  As postings on another thread have shown, there are many other musical
features besides melody, but they pale in importance with the majority of
listeners.

2.  I know of no composer who could churn out as many great melodies within
a small musical time frame as Mozart (the melody man).

3.  Most listeners also want "upbeat" music; they want to be entertained,
and who better to do this than Mozart whose music has a very high
entertainment quotient.

4.  One additional trait which I think puts Mozart at the top of the
"upbeat melody" category is how expertly he develops melodies and links
them to one another in a work.  The flow is astounding.

Although I love being on this list and communicating with other list
members, the fact is that we are in a minority position concerning what
most folks look for and want in music.  It's melody and entertainment
that carry the day; That's what puts Mozart so high on the pedestal.

Don Satz
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