Special post--BBC--Charles Hazlewood--The Genius of Mozart-- 5 out of 5.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX7JWAur3F0

It's different from the movie Amadeus,based on the play by Peter Shaffer--

which takes the point of view of Mozart's major rival--Salieri.

Hazlewood does not even mention Salieri.

Instead he places Mozart in the context of his times.

There's a lot of music, much more than in Amadeus.

And you understand his struggle better.

"Too many notes" Emperor Joseph II--was a reformer, and this documentary with quotes from letters of Mozart and his family--

shows Mozart's struggles with his royal and ecclesiastical patrons. They did not have recording studios or technology then. Also, this was the time of revolutions. The American Revolution was in 1776.

Like my nurse friend who liked to sew, and whom I advised next fashion show to chose the model first, then make the garment--

Hazlewood points out how Mozart composed knowing the strengths and weaknesses of his singers well--and incorporating them into the various roles.

Overall, it shows it's not easy to be a child prodigy with no real childhood, nor a genius ahead of your time.

It calls to mind the struggles "to be understood" of other artists like van Gogh or Gauguin, and the women (sister-in-law of van Gogh, Johanna, Theo's wife) who got the archive together and built up the late artist's name.

And it's also why today so many people successful in the arts committed suicide.

It's said the best words are not "I love you,"

but "I understand you."

So if you have such a person in your family, don't sneer and snark, at least let them be.

Kyi May Kaung.

2-5-2025