Satoshi Akima wrote:

>Then again, I am fascinated that composers can be divided into those
>who do mature to some degree (as would be expected), who are the majority;
>those who change in only subtle stylistic ways; and lastly those who seem
>to evolve with time to such a degree that one can in extreme cases barely
>recognise them from their earlier works.  Mozart, like Wagner and
>Schoenberg, I believe belongs to the last group...As such I feel strongly
>- but admittedly can never prove - that Mozart had barely begun to truly
>compose at the time of his death."

Some very interesting ideas.  Mozart's early works were very early in his
life, and I wonder whether he needed the life experience as well as the
musical experience in order to develop fully.  On the other hand, unlike
Beethoven or Haydn, the mature Mozart rarely shows a clear development in
his works from year to year.  From about 1782 to 1788, it's often hard to
place a work on stylistic considerations alone.  Mozart died during what
is generally regarded as a transitional period in his career; after a
brief fallow period he had emerged with a somewhat simpler style, in
which folk-like elements tended to become more prevalent (although never
as prevalent as Haydn).  Although I can't agree that Mozart had barely
begun to compose, there was certainly a lot of development left in him.

Peter Goldstein
Juniata College