As anyone who has ever had a substantive conversation with me about musicology/music will know, I'm kind of obsessed with Mozart. In hugely dorky ways. I'm reading Solomon's (substantially large) biography of Mozart for fun at the moment, along with Mozart-Da Ponte opera libretti. I wrote both of my musicology essays last semester on Mozart (and, when given the opportunity, will ramble about both of my theses at great, great length). I watch Amadeus (in spite of the historical errors that make me want to scream) whenever l feel sad. Mention Mozart, and my face lights up.
What is it about Mozart's music that holds me so captive; excites me so much?
Today was a really brutal day, both academically and personally speaking. So I came home, and naturally, fired up the substantive Mozart playlist on my iPod. Requiem is playing as I type. It's making me think of one of the many reasons I find Mozart so enthralling:
There is always something else to be found in Mozart's music. No matter how much one analyzes, there's more to be said, and no matter how much one listens for pleasure, there's more to experience as a listener.
I wrote a paper on the Requiem last semester, observing that "Mozart opens the mass by creating...a musical depiction of a unified, amicable relationship between God and humankind...[an] invocation to God does not begin until...interactions have reached a unified level; the petitioner is at one with God before the petition begins. The movement ["Requiem aeternam"]...approaches God with a sense of confidence...this confidence creates the spirit of the Requiem."
Tonight, I hear confidence. I hear the sense of peace I've always felt the piece (ha!) creates between God and humankind. But above that peaceful confidence, I hear hope.
Another reason why I love Mozart: in life's tougher moments, when I listen to his music, I can't stop myself from smiling, because no matter how awful things may seem, when I'm listening, I can't help but feel like they'll get better if I just give it time.
Schubert put it much, much more eloquently than I ever could:
"O Mozart, immortal Mozart, how many, oh how endlessly many such comforting perceptions of a brighter and better life thou hast brought to our souls!"
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