Eugene David<br>...The One-Minute Pundit

Posted 1:55 PM by Gene

Why does Mozart hold our interest? Consider Domenico Cimarosa, who became Emperor Leopold's music director in 1791. Cimarosa is rightly remembered for his opera "The Secret Marriage." It is a lovely piece; civilized, graceful, with lovely arias and smooth ensembles. Above all, it is clear. When Cimarosa is happy or unhappy the music tells us so.

Now listen to Mozart's brief choral piece "Ave Verum Corpus." The opening statement is warm, major-key and almost innocent. With the words "cujus latus" the music continues its major-ness; then, after one measure, it descends suddenly into an unstable harmony (a diminished seventh chord, if you are interested). We are headed toward minor-ness and a darker mood.

This is powerful listening in itself, but then, in the very next stroke, Mozart alters a single note (C sharp to C natural) and by some miracle our ears find themselves driven, not inevitably downward into D minor, but upward into the reconciling key of F. Just as we put up our umbrellas, the sun comes out. We don't know whether to be happy or sad, and so we are both. These few measures are something Cimarosa would not have thought of in a thousand years.

Yes, there is a difference between "excellence" and genius.

(Via a post in the FREEP -- somewhat astonishing, as the members' favorite music is "AH'M PRAYOUD T'BE a CAYYYYYN -- AMERICAYYYYYN!!!!!"