Mozart
2008
Being a follower
of the classical works of the likes of Verdi and Chopin, the Mozart
lecture was a re-teaching for me who had never really given Wolfgang
Amadeus (and his music) a chance. I had never really taken the
time to appreciate his music and I honestly believed he was not
as great as he was glorified to be (especially by my former music
teacher). Yet choosing to write this report was a way for me to
open myself up to a composer I had never really listened to. Annemarie
Firme took the lecture and began by having us listen to compositions
and say which we believed was composed by Mozart. Deceivingly,
most of the group chose the correct pieces. A minute or two later
though, this apparent knowledge proved to be a fluke when asked
what we knew about Mozart and next to no information was known.
In order to know more, groups were made to answer a quiz and a
rather competitive environment momentarily took over the classroom
(obviously as very precious Mozart chocolate was at stake). After
a few instances of not heeding the cries of a more knowledgeable
team member, my group succumbed to another. What amazed me most
about the history we were given about Mozart is the fact that
his artistry and talent were not fully recognised in his lifetime
yet now his works are priceless. This also appears to be paradoxical
to the age in which we live where even the least talented pop
star is glorified. A very enlightening portion of the lecture
was the opera we watched (Don Giovanni) which is one of the operas
written by Mozart. I must say it was a bit strange listening to
opera in German but we also saw it in Italian and it was thoroughly
enjoyed by all. We were all amazed at the beauty and technicality
of the voices of opera singers and I believe we all gained a new
appreciation for it. One of the things that amazed me the most
about Mozart from what Annemarie said was his level of diversity.
He created everything from solo concertos for various instruments
to full symphonies and operas. What we were able to see and hear
is that Mozart is a timeless genius who died long before his time.
But the time he did spend creating was more fruitful than what
many try to build in a lifetime.
by Mbali Ndandani
Last
Update (15/01/08)
