Lawrence Auster: Social and Cultural Commentator and Writer
View From the Right
Here is an email I sent to Larry Auster, while he was ill:
From Reclaiming Beauty--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 06, 2014
"Preserving this West"
Larry,
As someone who grew up in the West, yet who comes from a non-Western background, you have helped me so much in remaining calm and confident when all those around me were ready and happy to knock down this wonderful and beautiful civilization.
I now continue in preserving this West from these alien, destructive forces.
Here is a Mozart piano sonata, which I hope you will enjoy listening to.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4RZiaBlkodE#at=375
(If this doesn't open, you can listen to it here.)
K
[Note: the youtube page has been discontinued, but the Sonatas can be listened to here]
You could say that I am a Mozartphile
Below is my February 2013 blog post somewhat explaining my coinage of the word Mozartphile (which probably should be Mozartophile):
I can never have enough praise for Mozart. You could say that I am a Mozartphile. I am forever surprised, astounded, delighted and intrigued by his music. Recently, I have been listening to Dvorak and Sibelius, and they surprise and astound, but they never really delight like Mozart.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The incredible thing about Mozart is how accessible he is, without losing any of his musical complexity. I think he does this by keeping his essential melody (often enchantingly beautiful) always within the listener's reach.
He bends and rotates the melody, without ever putting the fear into the listener that the melody would get lost in a myriad of incomprehensible notes. Each note, however distant and distinct from the original, makes perfect sense, and is as natural a progression as the air we breathe.
In other composers, I sometimes wonder why they went in the direction they went, or at some point, I get a little bored or distracted with their melodious experiments. But never with Mozart.
In fact, I get irritated when other (worldly) things distract me from Mozart's intricate meanders. But, he never leads us far from the origin, and never teases us too much, although he loves to tease. His music may have some jest and playfulness in it, but it is, down to the simple piano sonatas, very serious. Each note was chosen with a certain aim, and is as precious as the next.
Here is my modest take on Mozart on his birthday in 2013, which somewhat explains my Mozartophilia:
I can never have enough praise for Mozart. You could say that I am a Mozartphile. I am forever surprised, astounded, delighted and intrigued by his music. Recently, I have been listening to Dvorak and Sibelius, and they surprise and astound, but they never really delight like Mozart.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The incredible thing about Mozart is how accessible he is, without losing any of his musical complexity. I think he does this by keeping his essential melody (often enchantingly beautiful) always within the listener's reach (more at the post).
Several short posts on Mozart I've made over my years of blogging :
Mozart at 254 (2010)
Two Hundred and Fifty Years: January 27th, Mozart's Birthday (2006)
Mozart's Birthday (2013)
Vladimir Horowitz Plays Mozart; Who Does Bach Justice? /(2013)
Kenneth Clark's Civilization: Mozart's Symmetry (2013)
An Idiot Playing at Genius (2013)
Preserving this West (2014)
Mozart: Genius in Three Notes (2016)