Agnes (like myself) would not like and does not want any 'pin being stuck in to her' or her opinions. I certainly wouldn't wish this. As far as Mozart and the Masons are concerned, the simple fact is that they, as an organisation, have often been and still are a convenient scapegoat whenever Rome and its church/state hybrid is considered in any real detail within Mozart studies.
That the Habsburgs (rather than Rome) banned Freemasons in Mozart's Vienna during his last years is indisputable. But the Habsburgs were Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire and were acting as empirically to ban the Freemasons. The Holy Roman Empire was in serious danger of collapse (due not to Freemasonry but a thousand absurdities and injustices within the Holy Roman Empire itself) so one of the ways the Habsburgs could survive was to belately allow the illusion of 'reform' to operate within the Austrian/Hungarian empire. Such 'reform' (many aspects of which were quickly reversed almost as soon as the deathof Joseph 2nd) were more cosmetic than real. The banning of Freemasons speaks volumes.
It was the offical/Habsburg version of events that Freemasons were fermenting revolution. In fact the French Revolution (and others such as the short lived Brabant revolution in Belgium) were caused not by Freemasons but 'reforming' agents of Rome. France had years before booted out the Jesuits. This had created a vacuum that could easily have led to the rise of a modern secular and democratic French republic. They (the Jesuits) desparately wanted their power and status within France restored before this was realised. They were quite prepared to do almost anything to get it. And they finally succeeded - at the Congress of Vienna.
It was the Habsburgs who allowed the revolutionary opera 'Le Nozze di Figaro' to be premiered, in Vienna, in 1786. And the the same 'reformist' Habsburgs allowed Figaro to be revived in Vienna years later ? This is plain evidence that even within Vienna the establishment were well aware that something had to be done to rescue their creaking marriage of church and state from almost certain collapse and extinction.
Can European history be appreciated outside out the dogmatic interpretations foisted on us by modern apologists for Catholicism ? Freemasons were no threat to anyone despite often being infilrated and used by pro-Catholic interests to conceal their notorious intolerance.
Mozart lived, worked and died within the social/religious context of the late Holy Roman Empire. This fact needs to be emphasised, repeated and appreciated if the mountain of myths that underpin Mozart's grotesque status are ever to be refuted. This revisionist process (motivated simply by a love of truth in dealing with Mozart fairly) can only be achieved when its agreed that he, Mozart, was a talented man exploited by Rome for Rome's benefit at virtually every stage of his short life - a man still being exploited today despite being dead for over 200 years.
Underneath the rubble of contradictions and paradoxes is a man from Salzburg of considerable musical talent who just happened to be a Freemason in his last decade of life. Mozart also just happened to have been born to a religiously fervent father. Both things have tended to obscure him, the real person, from our appreciation.
[This message has been edited by robert newman (edited 06-27-2006).]
That the Habsburgs (rather than Rome) banned Freemasons in Mozart's Vienna during his last years is indisputable. But the Habsburgs were Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire and were acting as empirically to ban the Freemasons. The Holy Roman Empire was in serious danger of collapse (due not to Freemasonry but a thousand absurdities and injustices within the Holy Roman Empire itself) so one of the ways the Habsburgs could survive was to belately allow the illusion of 'reform' to operate within the Austrian/Hungarian empire. Such 'reform' (many aspects of which were quickly reversed almost as soon as the deathof Joseph 2nd) were more cosmetic than real. The banning of Freemasons speaks volumes.
It was the offical/Habsburg version of events that Freemasons were fermenting revolution. In fact the French Revolution (and others such as the short lived Brabant revolution in Belgium) were caused not by Freemasons but 'reforming' agents of Rome. France had years before booted out the Jesuits. This had created a vacuum that could easily have led to the rise of a modern secular and democratic French republic. They (the Jesuits) desparately wanted their power and status within France restored before this was realised. They were quite prepared to do almost anything to get it. And they finally succeeded - at the Congress of Vienna.
It was the Habsburgs who allowed the revolutionary opera 'Le Nozze di Figaro' to be premiered, in Vienna, in 1786. And the the same 'reformist' Habsburgs allowed Figaro to be revived in Vienna years later ? This is plain evidence that even within Vienna the establishment were well aware that something had to be done to rescue their creaking marriage of church and state from almost certain collapse and extinction.
Can European history be appreciated outside out the dogmatic interpretations foisted on us by modern apologists for Catholicism ? Freemasons were no threat to anyone despite often being infilrated and used by pro-Catholic interests to conceal their notorious intolerance.
Mozart lived, worked and died within the social/religious context of the late Holy Roman Empire. This fact needs to be emphasised, repeated and appreciated if the mountain of myths that underpin Mozart's grotesque status are ever to be refuted. This revisionist process (motivated simply by a love of truth in dealing with Mozart fairly) can only be achieved when its agreed that he, Mozart, was a talented man exploited by Rome for Rome's benefit at virtually every stage of his short life - a man still being exploited today despite being dead for over 200 years.
Underneath the rubble of contradictions and paradoxes is a man from Salzburg of considerable musical talent who just happened to be a Freemason in his last decade of life. Mozart also just happened to have been born to a religiously fervent father. Both things have tended to obscure him, the real person, from our appreciation.
[This message has been edited by robert newman (edited 06-27-2006).]
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