Interesting about the Catholic side of Mozart. And good point about all the different elements of his contributions: sacred, comedic and tragic. I think one thing that makes geniuses geniuses is their ability to make quality contributions to many different "genres" as if it were their specialty all along. (Though some, like Dostoyevsky, were specialized exceptions)
While I am of the opinion that Shakespeare was a better tragedian than comedian (though you reminded me that I haven't read/seen As You Like It yet, so I might change my mind) the fact remains that he was as masterful comedy and tragicomedy as tragedy.
I have a question: Mozart and Shakespeare are but just a few who are geniuses but whom are known for tragedies especially. Do you think this is because tragedy is easier or harder than comedy? After all, comedy is often too dependent upon its own time. And yet it's because of this dependence that a timeless comedy is arguably better than a timeless tragedy.
Now that I think about it, Felix, you read pretty serious literature, heavy on tragedy. You might benefit from going through a comedy phase someday. Haha.
I associate Mozart with joyful music. I'm not sure I've listened to his tragic music. And Shakespeare's made me laugh. A lot. And I don't care for King Lear or Macbeth much at all. (Although someone wryly observed that the Macbeths have the only good marriage in all of Shakespeare.) Some comedy holds up across the centuries. Aristophanes. Cervantes. Rabelais. Who's the other Frenchman? Moliere. Some of the 18th Century stuff. Dickens. Less far away, Twain. No one's made me laugh more than Twain. My favorite TV show of all time is M*A*S*H*, which was great comedy with doses of the tragedy of war. The funniest novel I've ever read is The Road to Wellville by T.C. Boyle -- written a couple decades ago but set a century earlier. So I'm not sure comedies have to be period pieces, although maybe a bit more than tragedies do.
The Lacrimosa is one of his famous tragic works; you've no doubt heard it before. The other famous tragic piece is one of my favorites, but the name escapes me right now.
I guess comedic prose does score with Dickens. A Christmas Carol did extract more than a few chuckles out of me.
A lot of people tell me to read T.C. Boyle. I remain undecided for now. As for movies, perhaps I've been exposed to more of the "stupider" comedies than the more "uplifted" ones, for lack of a better word. But they tend to depend a lot on cultural references of the moment; references that in ten years will seriously date them. Monty Python, in contrast, seems to remain popular and timely. And they didn't need to reference the Beatles. The last comedy I saw that stands on its own two feet was Death at a Funeral. (The British version)
I love Mozart. Best for times when you need something more soothing than Beethoven. Handel's water music is my first to go to for those moments. Thanks again for such a comprehensive and enlightening narratives.
Interesting about the Catholic side of Mozart. And good point about all the different elements of his contributions: sacred, comedic and tragic. I think one thing that makes geniuses geniuses is their ability to make quality contributions to many different "genres" as if it were their specialty all along. (Though some, like Dostoyevsky, were specialized exceptions)
While I am of the opinion that Shakespeare was a better tragedian than comedian (though you reminded me that I haven't read/seen As You Like It yet, so I might change my mind) the fact remains that he was as masterful comedy and tragicomedy as tragedy.
I have a question: Mozart and Shakespeare are but just a few who are geniuses but whom are known for tragedies especially. Do you think this is because tragedy is easier or harder than comedy? After all, comedy is often too dependent upon its own time. And yet it's because of this dependence that a timeless comedy is arguably better than a timeless tragedy.
Now that I think about it, Felix, you read pretty serious literature, heavy on tragedy. You might benefit from going through a comedy phase someday. Haha.
I associate Mozart with joyful music. I'm not sure I've listened to his tragic music. And Shakespeare's made me laugh. A lot. And I don't care for King Lear or Macbeth much at all. (Although someone wryly observed that the Macbeths have the only good marriage in all of Shakespeare.) Some comedy holds up across the centuries. Aristophanes. Cervantes. Rabelais. Who's the other Frenchman? Moliere. Some of the 18th Century stuff. Dickens. Less far away, Twain. No one's made me laugh more than Twain. My favorite TV show of all time is M*A*S*H*, which was great comedy with doses of the tragedy of war. The funniest novel I've ever read is The Road to Wellville by T.C. Boyle -- written a couple decades ago but set a century earlier. So I'm not sure comedies have to be period pieces, although maybe a bit more than tragedies do.
The Lacrimosa is one of his famous tragic works; you've no doubt heard it before. The other famous tragic piece is one of my favorites, but the name escapes me right now.
I guess comedic prose does score with Dickens. A Christmas Carol did extract more than a few chuckles out of me.
A lot of people tell me to read T.C. Boyle. I remain undecided for now. As for movies, perhaps I've been exposed to more of the "stupider" comedies than the more "uplifted" ones, for lack of a better word. But they tend to depend a lot on cultural references of the moment; references that in ten years will seriously date them. Monty Python, in contrast, seems to remain popular and timely. And they didn't need to reference the Beatles. The last comedy I saw that stands on its own two feet was Death at a Funeral. (The British version)
Which Twain stories made you laugh the most?
Very interesting.
Mark Twain's autobiography is hilarious.
I love Mozart. Best for times when you need something more soothing than Beethoven. Handel's water music is my first to go to for those moments. Thanks again for such a comprehensive and enlightening narratives.
Glad you liked it, Francisco.
Capsule biographies of geniuses. Yes.