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Mozart: Musician Heal Thyself
Overview:
Join Active Minds as we delve into the magical world of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the man and his music. Mozart learned early on that music was a remedy for his lifelong struggle with illnesses. We’ll listen to Mozart, discuss his music and explore his short, but extraordinary life. And we’ll explore the notion that music might indeed possess healing properties for the listener. No prior musical knowledge is required—only a curiosity and love of music.
Summary:
"Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius." --W.A. Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a rare genius and continues to be the standard by which other musical geniuses are measured. As a child prodigy, he learned to compose and perform publically at the extraordinary age of five, displaying staggering facility and a photographic memory. By the age of seven he was touring Europe, composing symphonies and stunning his aristocratic audiences with magical talent and ebullient charm. His father Leopold, also an accomplished musician, paraded “Wolferl” before king's courts that fawned over the boy and lavished money and accolades upon him. At one point, Leopold relied on the prodigious phenomenon to provide nearly all the family’s income. All this took an eventual toll on Wolfgang’s young body and early on the boy experienced small pox, tuberculosis, depression, and insomnia and was prone to become ill at the slightest provocation. Nonetheless, he worked through the maladies, displaying incredible creative energy and seeming to be spurred on by overcoming just about any obstacle thrown his way. Could it have been his own music that provided his strength and acted as his remedy? Ultimately, Mozart composed over 600 works, including many of the most beloved operas, evocative chamber music and mature concert works that exist in today’s repertoire. His significant contribution to the history of music is made even more incredible by the fact that he died at age 35. He was a small man; not over 5 feet 5 inches tall, frail looking and not prone to physical exercise. But his music was giant, strong, vibrant and very healthy. Ill health surrounded him and extravagant spending led to near pennilessness his last days; but, he kept up a feverish pace of musical output until his final breaths. The immense influence that Mozart holds over the subsequent centuries of composers of all musical genres and performers of all skill levels cannot be overstated.
Exploration Questions:
• How did the Freemasonry influence Mozart?
• Where was his mother while he continually toured Europe?
• Who was Nannerl?
Reflective Questions:
• What would have been his musical output if Mozart had lived to be in his 60s?
• Do you have a favorite Mozart work?
More to Explore:
• Mozart biography and other info: www.mozartproject.org
Books For Further Reading:
• Abert, Hermann. W.A. Mozart Yale University Press. 2007. The book is both the fullest account of the composer’s life and a deeply skilled analysis of his music. Click here to order.
• Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life. Harper Perennial. 2005. Beethoven biographer Solomon here presents a revisionist biography of Mozart, which his publisher claims is the first full-scale biography in nearly 40 years. Click here to order.
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