Was Mozart...?

Question

creative?
i know this question sounds dumb and subjective, but I am talking about creativity in a very general manner. Because I listen to his pieces and they are sooooooooo similar and in essence, they ALL follow some sort of pattern. It's very predictable. Is that what you think too?

Another question: would you consider Mozart simplistic? I think he was.

Del, very interesting!

Procociousness has nothing to do with creativity. He was a genius. That's true.

I am talking in general. If course, there are utterly creative masterpieces in his repertoire. But he was so prolific, it almost sounds repetitive.

*Of course

Answer 1

The superficial similarities are because Mozart was writing in accepted musical forms of the day - rather in the way a lot of today's pop songs follow a certain model. In some ways Mozart's music is occasionally predictable - but a lot less predictable that most of his contemporaries. Remember, you have to put all of this into the context of 1770s and 1780s Vienna.

There is a lot of Mozart, however, that is far from predictable - the way he handles harmony and counterpoint, for example. He did things far more complex than others were doing and sometimes you really can't guess what's coming next.

Some of Mozart's music is 'simple' - many of the best things in life are - but never 'simplistic'. Mozart never took the easy course and it often got him into trouble. The beauty and simplicity of some of his music is what makes it great and proves that often 'less is more'.

Answer 2

You are correct. The question does sound dumb and subjective. Mozarts music is less typical of the high classical period than say Haydn. It generally conforms to the model for the period, however the forms had, at the time only recently been established. It is not the form that the music takes that is so remarkable, rather what Mozart does within that framework that is the essence of his genius. Simplistic - predictable, try looking at something that he composed that broke the mould created by Haydn, for example the wonderful and popular Fantasia in D minor. This is like nothing that is contemporary with it. Not until much later - does anything come along quite like it. It must have been revolutionary in its day.
In all the years before and since Mozart's time no one else has created music like Wolfgang's.

Answer 3

I don't agree with you, not at all but I will say that you don't have to be a musicologist to be able to recognise the music of many composers when you hear it, at least if you are into classical music at all. Each one has a recognisable 'style'.
Having said that I do believe Mozart was very creative not least because he was innovative musically with much of what he wrote, creating new forms especially in his piano sonatas and symphonies. His early works do sound 'Haydnish' to me but not so later, when he finds his own voice and style.
Everyone has their own preferences and tastes. I love Mozart but I find Brahms an old bore, which will be sacrilege to many classical music lovers!

Answer 4

Mozart? hmmm consider this each note played, consider a note on note is the precise sound of that instrument. it is perfection and to take a thousand, no take tens of thousands of these perfect notes and play them is pure genius

Answer 5

Simply put: a genius in his music. Any child who can come up with over that many concerts as a child, is creative indeed.