Bob Draper <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>I see Mozart as (what we would call today) a hot-housed composer.  For
>those not familiar with this term let me explain.  Hot-housing is the
>process of attempting to advance one's child by giving them tuition from
>an extremely early age.

I don't think even the people in 18th century would give an untalentet kid
so much training.  I think it is generally unwise to belive that people in
other times were more stupid than we are.

>For me this explains the apparent prodigy of composers like
>Mozart/Mendellsohn and 10 year old "genius" mathematicians.  What these
>people have in common is not superior genes.  They have superior social
>advantage.  Hence we find most doctors are sons of doctors because that's
>all they know.

Mozart and Mendelssohn were both very socially talented agreed, but I can't
see how this can make as general rule that they became great composers just
out of that.  Beethoven was not especially socially talented, but he did
became a great composer.

>I believe that this is Mozart's misfortune and explains why he was such
>a bland and boring composer.  You see he had no option but to assimulate
>(copy) other composer's styles (just like Mendellsohn did), the child's
>mind is just not developed enough to be creative.

Mozart was a composer of his time and traditions agreed, but so was also
Haydn.  But I can't see any reason to that if one finds Haydn to be the
greatest composer, bash another talented composer.  The opinion one has
on Mozart doesn't make Haydn better or worser.

Just don't mess up Mendelssohn in this!!  Mendelssohn had a truly unique
tone language, and I think him before his time in many ways.  But please
tell me: Whom did Mendelssohn ape??

>Only when the brothers Haydn went to the church school in Vienna did they
>come across written music and then they were approaching puberty.  Joseph
>did not learn much in composition until his late teens.

No. Haydn did know composition from early age, but in his youth he wasn't
employed as composer, and most probably he had use the time to earn his
bread in other ways than composition.

>>But Glenn Miller is right to say that Mozart was a brilliant assimilator;
>
>Bears out my theory

And my grandpa said that Mozart could do phantastic things.  Bears out my
arguments!

Mats Norrman
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