a great tragedy in all of music...

[Preston]

The loss of Mozart. I find mozart's death to be a tragedy of such degree.

I also wanted to say this - which I just now thought and just now understand:

Mozart's language was not German - it was music. Mozart wrote music like most speak. It was his strongest and easiest form of communitcation.

Beethoven, imo, did not have this as much as Mozart (though still had it greatly) and would slave for long periods of time working on a given piece. Not that, that makes his music any less. Just an interesting thought, I think.

I do find Beethoven to be the deeper and more profound of the two. Though one part of the tragedy of the loss of Mozart is that his music started getting deeper - and he started becoming more spiritual, at least to my understanding.

[Michael]

And don't forget Schubert. At least Mozart had written enough to satisfy humanity for the next couple of centuries - but Schubert (great as he was) was just hitting his stride.
If Beethoven had died at the same age as Schubert did, this forum wouldn't exist.

[Sorrano]

And don't forget Schubert. At least Mozart had written enough to satisfy humanity for the next couple of centuries - but Schubert (great as he was) was just hitting his stride.
If Beethoven had died at the same age as Schubert did, this forum wouldn't exist.

Having recently acquired the Schubert Symphonies, which include the realized fragments, I particularly feel at a loss with Schubert as to what might have been. Even with his early demise he did leave a tremendous legacy of great art.

It would have been interesting to see how Mozart and Beethoven might have influenced each other had Mozart lived another 30 or 40 years.

[PDG]

And don't forget Schubert. At least Mozart had written enough to satisfy humanity for the next couple of centuries - but Schubert (great as he was) was just hitting his stride.
If Beethoven had died at the same age as Schubert did, this forum wouldn't exist.

As MeatLoaf would have said, Michael: You took the words right out of my mouth. Schubert was always playing catch up with Beethoven - the younger man idolising the great genius, and pushing himself to superhuman limits to write comparable music, despite his relative inexperience.

By the way, how do you stand on the merits of all these great artists? I remember you saying that you regarded Haydn above Mozart, but recent posts suggest you now view Mozart in a different light? And, yes, Schubert: dead at just 31 but with an incredible body of work. Mystifying how he actually found the time to physically copy it all down, let alone actually compose the stuff in the first place...

[Michael]

By the way, how do you stand on the merits of all these great artists? I remember you saying that you regarded Haydn above Mozart, but recent posts suggest you now view Mozart in a different light? And, yes, Schubert: dead at just 31 but with an incredible body of work. Mystifying how he actually found the time to physically copy it all down, let alone actually compose the stuff in the first place...

Hi, Peter (again: not to be confused with Peter). I always loved Mozart but if it came to a choice between the two, it would have to be Haydn. I appreciate Schubert's greatness but I can't really enjoy him (with a few exceptions - like the 5th symphony.)

It's a bit like you and the Beethoven folksong arrangements. The best way I can describe my view of Schubert is to describe him as Beethoven without salt.

Which is unfair, because at the age of 30 or thereabouts, he had surpassed not only Beethoven (at that age) but the Boy Wonder himself. If he had carried on for another 30 years he may well have turned out to be the greatest of them all.

Speculation is futile. If I hadn't wandered into a record store in March 1968 and emerged with a thing called "The Pastoral Symphony", I would probably be posting on the Snoop Dogg or 50 cent websites today. (Maybe not, though - by not buying that record in 1968, I could have upset the whole space/time continuum - and you might not even have been born, PDG! )

[Preston]

And don't forget Schubert. At least Mozart had written enough to satisfy humanity for the next couple of centuries - but Schubert (great as he was) was just hitting his stride.

Imo, Mozart was just hitting his stride, too. Mozart was entering the world of depth, deeper music, more profound music, etc. then he died. What God would kill Mozart, then Schubert, make Beethoven death live in torment, etc. (and that is not mentioning the entire wold where the tragedies in life happen all the time and far worse). Anyway.

Yes, and not to mention Mussorgsky - and, probably most importantly, all musicians who are, have been and will be.

It is messed up - deeply sad.

Though, I will tell you - that is unbelievable the way Mozart could write music! Mostly, besides drafts here and there, he wrote like it was talking "as if he was taking dictation." THAT IS UNBELIEVABLE!

AND BEETHOVEN WRITING MUSIC STONE DEAF!

"" - you will probably know what i am quoting from if you are a fan.

[PDG]

Speculation is futile. If I hadn't wandered into a record store in March 1968 and emerged with a thing called "The Pastoral Symphony", I would probably be posting on the Snoop Dogg or 50 cent websites today. (Maybe not, though - by not buying that record in 1968, I could have upset the whole space/time continuum - and you might not even have been born, PDG! )

So you think you may be my father, Michael?! Or (gulp...), should I say 'Dad'?! Actually, I don't think I was ever born because I have no recollection of the event. Perhaps I landed here in a spaceship 50 million years ago...

[Michael]

Perhaps I landed here in a spaceship 50 million years ago...

That would explain a lot ....................

[Preston]

imo, while it is hard to compare the greater of the tragedies, i believe it was mozart. the reason being is because of his musical fluency - i feel he would have far surpassed them all - though, he died so that is that.