Norman M. Schwartz <[log in to unmask]> writes:

>Peter Shaffer has an acute awareness of Wolfie's familial background,
>personality and character that Steve Schwartz might have overlooked or
>rather unlikely is unaware of.

He has a superficial biopic awareness of these things - which is no big
deal - and gleaned most of his 'facts' from biographies anyone could pick
up in their public library.

>The booklet accompanying the CD "Mozart Unexpurgated", Scatological and
>Other Songs, Canons and Piano Variations (Tall Poppies TP009) makes point
>of Mozart's smutty sense of humor, with his references to "shit", "arses"
>and "farts" along with "strings of childish onomatopoeia, ie.  "Muck chuck,
>suck!".

Your translation does the original German no justice.  It isn't quite
childish onomatopoeia, but actually rather amusing.  What on earth is worth
making a fuss about here, on stage or off? Doesn't everyone use this kind
of language in private life? What's so shocking - or interesting - about
Mozart or anyone else writing this way to his sister?

Schaffer's total lack of a handle on Mozart's creative processes (or worse,
blatant steamrollering of the facts in favour of his bogus, trivial theory
of "mysterious genius") is one of the worst examples of intellectual
dishonesty I've ever come across.  The play itself is mere hackwork, and
has dated badly.  The film is marginally better, as we get less of his
ghastly script and more of the pretty visuals.

Christopher Webber,  Blackheath, London,  UK.
http://www.nashwan.demon.co.uk/zarzuela.htm
"ZARZUELA!"