Syd Lexia wrote:

This is not something I can answer. Since you know Beethoven better than I, let me ask you this: did Beethoven's style and musical sensibilities shift over time? If they did, were these shifts a direct result of his failing hearing?

I'm not sure if his sound changed due to his hearing or not. I would assume it was just him maturing as a composer, but his early work was pretty much shit. That being said, I don't think i would cure his deafness, as that may be a possible reason why some of his best stuff was his darker music. I would imagine the frustration would have some influence on that type of music. Could be completely off base though.

This thread has me listening to some of the old Ludwig Van right now.

Slightly off topic. It was found, what, 10 years ago or so that Mozart died of Strep Throat. I WOULD go back and cure him. If for anything to see how different his requiem would be with him completing it completely by himself. (for those who don't know, it is believed an understudy of his completed the later portions using notes mozart had made) Also it would be cool to have another 30-40 years worth of music by mozart. What would be interesting about this as well, is Beethoven helped perpetuate the romantic era with his later works breaking the conventions of "Classical" style music. I wonder if Mozart were to live long enough if his work would have shifted to a looser, more "Romantic" feel.

Actually the strep theory was more recent than i thought it is widely accepted that he died of rheumatic fever.

APLETHORAOFPINATAS wrote:

nah, not as improtant as beethoven. Good question about Mozart. I always think of Mozart as a great composer but one who didn't push the envelope at all. he was basically the apex of the classical style but thats all he did. Something makes me feel like maybe he would have stayed that way. Dont' want what makes me say that but thats how i feel. yea i was listening to Eroica the other night because i was thinking about it. i think Berstein said it best when he said that the true talent of Beethoven was that he knew exactly, which note should follow each preceading one. Think he described Beethoven's 5th as inevitable in this regard, like its a force of nature or something. I'm trying to avoid hyperbole but there is something about Beethoven that makes me glad to be alive.

I agree to some extent, and I'm certain that Mozart is not overrated by any means, but I think that what he did to push music is overlooked to some extent. true he is the epitome of classical style, but at the time style galant was the way, a departure from baroque, as it dismissed the complexities seen in baroque and focused more on clear melody and form. Mozart took that style but added complexity as well as incorporated baroque styles and passages, created and popularized the classical piano concerto. I think that his part in progressing music is less dramatic audibly than Beethoven, but is there none the less. Not to mention the fact that Beethoven was a HUGE admirer of Mozart and his early, as i stated shittier work, was clearly emulating mozart's style... you could even say that without mozart, beethoven may not have had the same inspiration to be a composer..

now i've gotten a bit off track, but what i'm suggesting is that mozart was progressive, you can see it in his work, though less obviously than beethoven, so i think it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility, especially with his ability to absorb different styles of music, that he would be right there with beethoven pushing the envolope, maybe even in a slightly different direction.

I love mozart, and there are countless songs that i enjoy by him, especially his piano concerto's, however, to agree with you, no song gives me the chills every time i listen to it like beethoven's 7th symphony 2nd movement. Essentially it's just one melody toyed around with, stripped down, built up, then stripped down again, but damn it's such a perfect piece of music.

hmm... going in the direction of Rossini.... I could definitely see that. Also, I have heard the Missa Solemnis, and they are great. I would concur that everything he did after Erocia is fantastic. Even though I dissed his early work, I'm still a fan of some of his earlier piano pieces. I'm a huge piano nerd though, so a lot of times I get enjoyment out of piano pieces if not only out of appreciation for their difficulty or technical soundness, as i have been playing for most of my life. Beethoven definitely raised the bar on difficulty with his piano works. Bringing on the Romantic era the bar kept going up with the likes of chopin, lizst, rachmoninoff all the way to scriabin and prokofiev.