William Copper ([log in to unmask]) wrote:

>Wolfie's letters are pretty consistent with Shaffer's dialogue, so I have
>to disagree with some distinguished writers here.  Where ever he learned
>it, he was Quite Crude for then or for now.

No - quite crude "then" and quite crude "now" are entirely different
matters.  Making Mozart out to be significantly more scatological in
his sense of humour than the rest of society is probably not justified.

People in the 18th century were generally far less inhibited about
referring to bodily functions than we are today.  I'm not sure how things
are in German, but certainly in English in the pre-Victorian era swearing
was alsmost exclusively religious rather than sexual.

Deryk Barker
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