Posted on 11/12/2004 8:00:28 PM PST by uglybiker
VIENNA, Austria - DNA tests could soon solve a century-old mystery — whether a skull held by the International Mozarteum Foundation is that of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Archaeologists have opened a grave in Salzburg thought to contain the remains of Mozart's father and other relatives. Experts plan to compare the remains' genetic material with the foundation's skull to determine if it belonged to the famed Austrian composer.
Mozart died in 1791 and was buried in a pauper's grave at Vienna's St. Marxer Cemetery. The location of the grave was initially unknown, but its likely location was determined in 1855. The grave on that spot is adorned by a column and a sad-looking angel.
Legend has it that a gravedigger who knew which body was Mozart's sneaked the skull out of the grave. Through different channels, the skull came to the Mozarteum in Salzburg in 1902, said Dr. Stephan Pauly, the foundation's director.
(Excerpt) Read more at story.news.yahoo.com ...
GGG List PING.
I thought DNA evidence was proven unreliable by the O.J. Simpson defense team. Ooops! I didn't take into account that 200-year old DNA is more reliable than 3-day old DNA.
Why bother?
I mean, what does it matter if the skull is Mozarts or not?
Seems like an awful lot of expense and hassle for no great reward, really. Unless they are planning on selling the certified Mozartian skull on E-bay.
"I mean, what does it matter if the skull is Mozarts or not? "
More disturbing the RIPeacers. Why bother being buried at all when legitimized hooligans eventually act like grave robbers. It'll be cremation and scattering my ashes for me.
Y-A-W-N. I'm more interested in finding Bach's lost orchestral works. The Brandenburg Concertos were just a fraction of his orchestral output. Unfortunately, the nimrods at the time filed his scores away and most of them have never been found since.
If it turns out to be Mozart's skull, maybe they can test his DNA for evidence of various medical problems that Mozart was reported to have had.
Sounds like they're making a concerted effort.
Rock me Amadeus!
"Seems like an awful lot of expense and hassle for no great reward, really."
Well, maybe they hope to clone him one day. Mankind surely could use another Mozart rather than contemporary noisy garbage...
Clone little Mozarts all over the place?
I never realised that.
Have to say when studying music in school Bach's preludes and fugues always intrigued me. The complex counterpoint was just mathematically amazing!
I'm not a big fan of organ music - but those fugues are jaw-dropping in their complexity!
I want the Viking funeral myself. Just me, my boat, a gallon or 2 of Sterno, a flare pistol to set everything off, and a good push off the shore.
Bach was in a class all by himself. He's a true genius like Einstein and Da Vinci. Everytime I listen to a Bach work like the Trio Sonatas (for organ) or Art of Fugue, I pick up something new. His cantatas are pretty amazing too, though they are an acquired taste.
The Trio Sonatas?
I'm going to have to check those out.
I have a couple of friends who are Church organists and music teachers. I'm going to have to raid their personal libraries, and have a listen! :-)
that's "sharp"
Confirmation of the skull as being Mozart's could help to confirm his cause of death. It is believed that he died of complications with hematoma and/or rheumatic fever. The hematoma is evidenced by reports during his final days and by analysis of the skull.
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