Having read this post about Mozart and his genius in the last couple of
years, comparing him to Haydn, does it not attest to his true worth as a
genius of music? The mere fact that his name is mention constantly in a
variety of ways on this post says to me that he has left his mark in spite
of dying at an early age.  Who else gets mention as much that did not
fulfill their potential? Schubert? Mendelssohn? I hardly think so.  I am
beginning to think these discussions have more to with therapy, a way of
dealing with life on this musical post...just my humble little opinion.

I do not pretend to understand music and I have no background in classical
music, but I have read about Mozart's life in several books.  I want to
bring up something about his genius from a different perspective as I have
not seen anyone quite touch on this before.  I do not say that this is what
I believe 100% since it is impossible to be precise on the matter of the
human mind.

To me, Mozart's mind worked like an idiot savant mind.  Near perfect
memory, the ability to know how the composition would come out before he
even wrote it down, and this all happening without him knowing how he knows
what he knows.  I truly believe Mozart compose for the patrons of his time.
Also it appears that whenever Mozart came across material of interest, the
effect was immediate and would show up in corresponding works.

Whenever people bring up works being weak, etc., like piano sonatas,
most symphonies, where is the influence for his mind to break out of the
mold? Like most of us, he has his more natural gifts but there is nothing
to convince me that if you played Beethoven piano sonatas (bear with me) to
him, alas a little time travel necessary, Mozart would simply wave his hand
as if to say no problem.  Not compose as Beethoven would have but the idiot
savant mind just heard new ideas, which he immediately absorbed and would
have to find new expression in future works.

Like a train on a certain course, Mozart's mind had to be told where to
go and he was not in control of it; the knowledge came to him of itself.
It is interesting that many of the great geniuses of history did not come
flying out of the gate, yet changed history in their respective area:
Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein,--they were not wonderland kids.  Mozart
has the reputation of coming from that place, a place where many do not
seem to fulfill their promise.  I believe that Mozart, like a high flying
tech stock, was growing rapidly and there was a price to pay for all that
volatility.

I like to think that (though I do not really believe it) that Mozart's
life ended early because the gods would have reveal too much and so it had
to be.  Again, my opinion on a subject(music) that I do not understand but
enjoy listening and reading about.  Having said all that, I still like
Beethoven the best.:)

Glenn