Looking for another Mozart
Almost from the moment Wolfgang Mozart died the public was out looking for a new one. They completely disregarded the fact that they had rejected the original. There has been a feeding frenzy ever since. But will there ever be another Mozart?
First of all, the typical world view of Mozart is completely wrong. It is filled with outright lies and half-truths, all intended to convince the reader that the writer 'understands' Mozart and is thus qualified to define his life for the rest of us. Yet numerous mysteries have remained for over 250 years, so we know that is not the case. Basically, the thesis regarding Mozart falls into the 'blame-the-victim' category. He was 'too' -- arrogant, thoughtless, careless, prideful, intemperate, unreliable...you name it. The horrid movie "Amadeus" condenses most of the worst lies into one brilliantly-colored morass.
So, if the world is looking for another "Mozart", it is in fact looking for something that will fulfill their (mistaken) idea of who Mozart was. They are looking for a wonderkinder who excels at everything out of the cradle and is willing to give up their childhood for fame and, hopefully, fortune. From time to time there have been individuals willing to step up to the plate; some, such as Mendelssohn, even managed to continue on to leave a wonderful legacy of his own.
But will there be another actual Mozart? I don't think so. Why? For one, the person would have to be surrounded by controversy wherever they went. That would conflict with the possibility of their coming to the public eye in any sort of a typical manner. They would, ideally, have to have mastered the piano, taught themselves the violin (you don't need lessons to play second violin, according to the actual Mozart), be composing significant pieces at a very early age, change genres, add playing the organ, have boundless evergy and a heart full of joy despite the fact that everyone around him would be trying to vampirize his energy and steal his supply. He would have to survive daily attacks of hangers-on, who would try to turn him into a bucket and then make demans that he support them, as Leopold did. He would have to be an abused child conditioned to crank out music in order to please their parents or the cold God the parents insisted he must also obey. They must be willing to take every risk to put themselves out into the public view despite the fact that their earnings are meager, while those of much less ability live in fine houses and have seemingly infinite resources. They must have the courage to fact the most unscrupulous foes, all wearing false smiles. He would have to be wise enough to read the mind of his enemies in order to escape the wicked grasp of their agendas.
And that's just for starters. No, I do not think there will be another Mozart. Why would a loving God, if there is one, put another one on this earth after they way they treated the first one? But would a loving God avenge the manner in which the first Mozart was treated? Might He find an alternative to illuminate to the darkened world the travesty of their behavior toward Wolf?
First of all, the typical world view of Mozart is completely wrong. It is filled with outright lies and half-truths, all intended to convince the reader that the writer 'understands' Mozart and is thus qualified to define his life for the rest of us. Yet numerous mysteries have remained for over 250 years, so we know that is not the case. Basically, the thesis regarding Mozart falls into the 'blame-the-victim' category. He was 'too' -- arrogant, thoughtless, careless, prideful, intemperate, unreliable...you name it. The horrid movie "Amadeus" condenses most of the worst lies into one brilliantly-colored morass.
So, if the world is looking for another "Mozart", it is in fact looking for something that will fulfill their (mistaken) idea of who Mozart was. They are looking for a wonderkinder who excels at everything out of the cradle and is willing to give up their childhood for fame and, hopefully, fortune. From time to time there have been individuals willing to step up to the plate; some, such as Mendelssohn, even managed to continue on to leave a wonderful legacy of his own.
But will there be another actual Mozart? I don't think so. Why? For one, the person would have to be surrounded by controversy wherever they went. That would conflict with the possibility of their coming to the public eye in any sort of a typical manner. They would, ideally, have to have mastered the piano, taught themselves the violin (you don't need lessons to play second violin, according to the actual Mozart), be composing significant pieces at a very early age, change genres, add playing the organ, have boundless evergy and a heart full of joy despite the fact that everyone around him would be trying to vampirize his energy and steal his supply. He would have to survive daily attacks of hangers-on, who would try to turn him into a bucket and then make demans that he support them, as Leopold did. He would have to be an abused child conditioned to crank out music in order to please their parents or the cold God the parents insisted he must also obey. They must be willing to take every risk to put themselves out into the public view despite the fact that their earnings are meager, while those of much less ability live in fine houses and have seemingly infinite resources. They must have the courage to fact the most unscrupulous foes, all wearing false smiles. He would have to be wise enough to read the mind of his enemies in order to escape the wicked grasp of their agendas.
And that's just for starters. No, I do not think there will be another Mozart. Why would a loving God, if there is one, put another one on this earth after they way they treated the first one? But would a loving God avenge the manner in which the first Mozart was treated? Might He find an alternative to illuminate to the darkened world the travesty of their behavior toward Wolf?
posted by Pamela Brown at 11:55 AM
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