Happy Birthday, Mozart!
Current mood: Celebratory
Current music: Well, it would have to be Mozart now, wouldn't it?
Today is the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth! I hope he is having a good time in whichever ethereal plane he currently inhabits. He was born in Salzburg on 27 January, 1756. Hmm, he was a 'Tuesday's child' - which meant that he was full of grace, if you believe the rhyme. Although we usually refer to him as 'Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart', his actual name was 'Joannes Chrisostomos, Wolfgang, Gotlieb'. Quite a mouthful. But it would seem that according to the Roman Catholic calendar, 27 January was the day of St John Chrysostom (the patron saint of orators); 'Wolfgang' was the name of his mother's father; and 'Amadeus' is the Latin for 'beloved of God', or 'Gotlieb' in German.
Anyway, enough about his name. As far as 'classical' music goes, I admit I tend to prefer Romantic and 20th Century composers to Classical ones, which means that my knowledge of Mozart's enormous output is sadly somewhat limited. That said, I have to say that the last bars that Mozart ever wrote - for 'Lachrymosa' in his famous 'Requiem in D Minor' - make up the most moving choral passage I have ever had the good fortune to sing. I'd put it right up there with the 'Requiem' by Gabriel Fauré - and for me, that's saying something!
So, let's have your votes, ladies and gentlemen - which is your favourite Mozart piece? Please enter your opinions through the 'Comments' link...
Current music: Well, it would have to be Mozart now, wouldn't it?
Today is the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth! I hope he is having a good time in whichever ethereal plane he currently inhabits. He was born in Salzburg on 27 January, 1756. Hmm, he was a 'Tuesday's child' - which meant that he was full of grace, if you believe the rhyme. Although we usually refer to him as 'Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart', his actual name was 'Joannes Chrisostomos, Wolfgang, Gotlieb'. Quite a mouthful. But it would seem that according to the Roman Catholic calendar, 27 January was the day of St John Chrysostom (the patron saint of orators); 'Wolfgang' was the name of his mother's father; and 'Amadeus' is the Latin for 'beloved of God', or 'Gotlieb' in German.
Anyway, enough about his name. As far as 'classical' music goes, I admit I tend to prefer Romantic and 20th Century composers to Classical ones, which means that my knowledge of Mozart's enormous output is sadly somewhat limited. That said, I have to say that the last bars that Mozart ever wrote - for 'Lachrymosa' in his famous 'Requiem in D Minor' - make up the most moving choral passage I have ever had the good fortune to sing. I'd put it right up there with the 'Requiem' by Gabriel Fauré - and for me, that's saying something!
So, let's have your votes, ladies and gentlemen - which is your favourite Mozart piece? Please enter your opinions through the 'Comments' link...
posted by Aureala @ 6:18 pm
PIPSOH!
6 Comments:
At Saturday, January 28, 2006 9:35:00 am,
Anonymous said…
Hey,
well, knowing very little about Mozart's music (I probably recognise a few if you play them, but I can't think of them off the top of my head...) All I'm gonna say is that I like Pachabel's Canon and Dvorak's New World Symphony. Oh and I've been keen to see Puccini's La Boheme coz I like a few "songs" from there....
If you're into a capella, then you really have to check out the Australian group, the Idea of North. http://www.idea.com.au. They don't have any songs on there I don't think, but me and sis have been fans for good couple of years. I really have to email you the mp3 just for you to judge for yourself....
hmm, know what you mean about the language thing too. that's why I can't live in HK. although my Chinese tends to step up a bit after a day or 2 in HK and then it just plateau at this primary school level. embarassing.
Oh yeah, In Australia we have an epidemic of Indian telemarketers who are obviously on a rehearsed spiel. Being at home the last week I've had to fend off 2 of them in a very polite manner, except when I tell them I'm not interested, they just keep talking anyway! I have to say good bye like 6 times and then they get huffy at me! ha! I should be getting huffy at them, wasting my time! I was considering saying to them, " I charge $200 an hour, so if you want me to listen to you for a minute, you have to pay me like $4 or something. give me your address so I can bill you..." wonder if that will work? Maybe I should consider the "I don't speak English" tactic by speaking in Chinese. By the same token, we have gotten telemarketers who straight away speak chinese and I tell them I don't speak chinese. That usually at least stumbles them a bit, but around here, they keep going until I tell them we're not interested. I have to find some music and put them on hold, wonder if that works? They are a plague...
Better get back to work. I'm happy to say that I have now 4 chapters completed (out of 9) of my thesis. well, the first draft anyway, but I don't expect that I need to rewrite much. unfortunately, I have all the hard ones to go....
At Monday, January 30, 2006 10:24:00 pm,
Anonymous said…
You can tell the Indian telemarketers that your sister has just gone into labour and you are expecting a call from her husband at any moment. Rehearse it if you don't feel confident. Then you can have an irritating rehearsed spiel of your own.
I like the Haydn string quartets.
...
I can't really explain them any more descriptively than that.
"They are Mozart songs that sound Haydn-ish."
(Success)
Let's try a little bit more...
"They are 6 famous chamber pieces for string quartets written by Mozart in the style of Haydn. Haydn thought they were fantastic."
At Friday, February 03, 2006 10:53:00 am,
Aureala said…
Mozart songs that sound Haydn-ish? Hmm, I'll have to look into those, though it would help if I knew what they were called. I'm awful with remembering the names of classical wotsits. Say, did Haydn ever write anything that sounds Mozart-ish, to return the compliment?
At Monday, February 06, 2006 5:58:00 pm,
Anonymous said…
They are called (according to Google):
String Quartet in G Major
String Quartet in D Minor
String Quartet in E Major
String Quartet in B Major
String Quartet in A Major
String Quartet in C Major
Haydn didn't write any Mozart-style pieces in appreciation (Haydn being Yoda to Mozart's Luke Skywalker at the time).
Instead, he told Leopold Mozart that '[your son is] the greatest composer known to me in person or by name; he has taste and, what is more, the greatest knowledge of composition.'
Isn't that nice?
At Thursday, February 09, 2006 12:44:00 pm,
Anonymous said…
aha! I went and found some Mozart that I know! 2 pieces from Marriage of Figaro. but honestly, I'm not really into them. they're so "straight". they kinda just tinker along. Personally I like a bit of drama in my music.
mp3s will have to come later unfortunately, things are a bit busy at the moment on several fronts. Once Valentine's Day is over and etc, then things will be a bit more normal, I suspect.
thanks for the tip about the telemarketers, Louise :o) I'm gonna try have to try that one out!
At Thursday, February 09, 2006 6:35:00 pm,
Aureala said…
String Quartet in A Major
String Quartet in B Major
String Quartet in C Major...
(The rest is pretty much the same, isn't it?)
You can see why I have trouble with identifying classical pieces...!
Speaking of which, there's a lovely piano and cello piece which they play on one of the stylish-looking Bang & Olufsen TV ads, and I think it might be by Chopin but I'm not sure. I've absolutely no clue as to what it's called. Any ideas?
Post a Comment
<< Home