The Marvel of Mozart’s Letters

[kieckerjan]

When I was a teenager, I had no love for Mozart. An aunt who did used to tell me: "you will appreciate Mozart when you get older." Now I wonder if she actually meant when you get younger. I was a humorless pompous prick then.

[coliveira]

Since childhood, Mozart is my big idol in classical music. Then, some people told me the opposite: you like Mozart now, but later you will discover better music. I listen to a lot of other composers, and like many of them, but nobody gives me the same kinds of feelings as Mozart.

[akuchling]

Excerpts from his letters were also set to music by Michael Nyman for a film project: for example, "O My Dear Papa": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN1xc0wqeBg

Though the piece I like best from that film is "Profit & Loss", which has invented lyrics based on Mozart's finances & his father's imagined reaction to them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9Ts9GoBv1s

[vixen99]

'Composers’ letters can make frustrating reading. But with Mozart, you get the whole personality — candid, perceptive, irresistibly alive and packed with filth'

[jansan]

Sorry for mentioning this, because you will never be able to forget it. But regarding Mozart and filth, IMHO every adult should know that there is a piece of Mozart called "Leck mich im Arsch" (Lick my arse).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C78HBp-Youk

For connoisseurs, it's Köchelverzeichnis 382c

[bryanrasmussen]

This was no composition by a performing monkey!

[british_india]

I own a copy of "The Letters of Mozart and his Family" and they are a wild bunch, especially the letters addressed to: "Cousin Buzz Fuzz".

[ziotom78]

No, his case proves nothing of this sort. His father had the same thoughts, and when he quarreled with his son and separated from him, he requested his daughter to "lend" him her son, so that he could give him the same education as Wolfgang's and have another child prodigy [1,2]. He failed miserably...

[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Anna_Mozart#Leopold's_...

[2] Solomon's biography

[ioseph]

He was privileged in the sense of being born into a musical family who recognised and encouraged his prodigy at a young age, but they were by no means part of the aristocracy. Out of curiosity which composers do you see worth of 'fuzz' ?

[dvh]

Got some .epub by any chance?

[pieterk]

https://archive.org/details/lettersofmozarth000861mbp