Posted on 01/08/2007 8:47:16 AM PST by Pyro7480
Meeting Mozart
The Bloomsbury critic, Lytton Strachey, was the father of the modern practice of biography-as-assassination. Writing amidst the cynicism caused by the First World War, Strachey's Eminent Victorians set the model for pathography by taking down four hitherto-beloved 19th century heroes: Florence Nightingale, Cardinal Henry Edward Manning, Thomas Arnold, and General Charles ("Chinese”") Gordon. Strachey's victims' posthumous reputations have fared rather better than his, in the decades since Eminent Victorians was published in 1921. Still, the Strachean instinct to dissect (and then deride) men and women widely regarded as admirable and noble continues to this day, as do Strachey's characteristic emphases on emotion, personal relationships, and modernist "authenticity" over talent, a sense of duty, and religious faith.
This literary plague may, in fact, be receding, at least in the United States: think of the admiring biographies of Washington, Adams, Hamilton, and Lincoln published in recent years. One remaining victim of Stracheyism, however, is the man who was arguably the greatest musical talent in history, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. How many people have read his story through the psychoanalytic fog of the 1984 Peter Schaffer/Milos Forman film, Amadeus, in which Mozart is portrayed as a flatulent, borish, man-child genius stalked by a jealous fellow-composer of lesser gifts, Antonio Salieri? It's all twaddle, and often vulgar twaddle, but at least you can close your eyes and listen to the music.
Which is, as always, sublime. Whenever I've visited the slough of despond, Mozart has been an unfailing restorative -- as he is a welcome companion in life's moments of unrelieved joy, and at every point in between. So, as we close this year marking the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth, let's just forget Amadeus and its imitation of Lytton Strachey by way of Sigmund Freud, and concentrate on the music. Herewith, then, a very brief Mozart Sampler, for those interested in meeting a genius on his own terms:
The Operas: They're time consuming, but it's permitted to cheat a little by getting the highlights of the main Mozart operas in the Teldec CD "Opera Collection," directed by Nikolaus Harnancourt. Complement that with one of my favorite recordings, the Mozart opera "Overtures" CD on the EMI label, with Neville Mariner and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields.
The Symphonies: Mozart took the symphonic form as far as it could go before Beethoven dramatically recast it in his Third. So I'd suggest starting towards the end of Mozart's symphonic production, with #31 (the "Paris" symphony), #35 (the "Haffner"), and #36 (the "Linz"); then move on to #38 (the "Prague" symphony) and #41 and (the "Jupiter").
The Concerti: Once again, Neville Mariner and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields do a brilliant job in two double-CD collections on the Philips label, "Mozart: The Great Piano Concertos." Then try Christopher Hogwood and the Academy of Ancient Music performing the flute and harp concerto, the flute concerto #1, and the bassoon concerto on a L’Oiseau-Lyre CD, before turning to Hogwood again for the clarinet and oboe concerti on another L’Oiseau-Lyre disc. Those less inclined to authentic instrument recordings can find most of the Mozart wind concerti on a two-disc Decca CD entitled "Mozart Wind Concertos."
Sacred Music: Whatever biographers say about Mozart's connections to Freemasonry, I defy anyone to listen to his motet, "Ave, Verum," and draw any conclusion other than that he was a sincere (if sometimes confused ) Catholic believer. Try the "Ave, Verum" on the Philips CD, "Exsultate Jubilate," with Sir Colin Davis, the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and Kiri Te Kanawa, which also gets you the "Vesperae Solennes de Confessore" and the "Kyrie in D-Minor." As for the many Mozart Masses, the "Coronation Mass" is probably the best start for the neophyte, before tackling the unfinished "Great Mass" and "Requiem."
It's often said that the angels play Bach on holy days, and Mozart for the sheer joy of it. I couldn't agree more. One more thing, if I may. Query to Richard (The God Delusion) Dawkins: do you really think Mozart is the accidental, if fortuitous, product of galactic biochemistry?
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I tend to drive faster listening to fast or powerful music, like Metalica's Ride The Lightning but I got a major speeding ticket listening to Beethoven's 9th Symphony 4 movement, Ode to Joy". To keep my license I need to avoid listening to it. Luckily, my CD is scratched.
And BTW, what ever happened to the nearly indestructible CD? They're worse than albums, which I still listen to.
I have limited experience with LPs. I think it would depend how often you listen to the medium. CDs are probably played far more often, and are exposed to more extreme conditions, than LPs are.
Amadeus was great. No one associated with the film ever claimed that it was historically accurate.
If you want the absolute best, and I mean the ABSOLUTE BEST, and this has taken me a lot (or "alot" if you will) of time , effort and some expense to find..of Beethoven's nine symphones, get Daniel Barenboim's version with the Berlin Staatskapelle ( recorded around 2000 )on DVD-Audio (Teldec/(Warner))
In terms of technical quality of the sound its ~worlds beyond~ ANY recording of orchestral music ever made in the history of recording! Yes, you heard me. But to enjoy to the fullest extent you will need a DVD-Audio capable player, 5 full range speakers (floor standing), a good sub and a powerful 6 channel receiver. WOW. I listened to the entire 6th(Pastoral) again last night, it just blew me away as it does everytime. How can recorded music sound soooo good !
CDs are gone. They are soo last century! A well recorded DVD-Audio (such as those from Teldec), or SACD (Telarc) will blow the best CDs to smithereens.
Is DVD audio superior in sound quality than a CD?
A well recorded DVD-A (not all DVD-A's have the same quality just as not all CD's do) is worlds beyond CD. DVD-A and SACD (Super Audio CD) are competing technologies just like Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. Sony/Phillips is pushing SACD, and Panasonic and others doing the same for DVD-A. Both sound great but I have a personal preference for DVD-A. Both are multi channel recordings so you will need multiple speakers for full effect. More on it here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD-Audio
Forgot to mention, for obvious reasons Sony DVD players dont support DVD-Audio.
And we all thank God for that. You could suffer a fatal accident watching your DVD while driving. ;)
I have "Overtures" CD on the EMI label, with Neville Mariner and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and have nearly worn it out. I completely wore out the tape of this that I owned earlier. This never fails to lisf my mood. Ditto Symphony No. 29 in A recorded by the same.
They always say it's only for when they're stooped but I don't buy it. Cell phones are bad enough; I can see some loser watching pornos while driving (with one hand...)
I understand that "Pimp My Ride" is a TV show, but can anyone tell me what "pimp my ride" is supposed to mean?
"biography-as-assassination. Writing amidst the cynicism caused by the First World War, Strachey's Eminent Victorians set the model for pathography"
Wow. I never heard of pathography before. A pathological biography? I love it. Unfortunately, that isn't what the words means at all. Sigh.
Rufus Grisowold wrote a hatchet job biography of Edgar Allan Poe shortly after his death.
Writing must have been difficult in that cramped coffin...
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