Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum From "nothing" to genius

I have never cared much for Mozart's music - not my cup of tea. Everyone says he was a genious but I never understood - his music just wasn't "serious" enough.

A while ago I decided to give his music a try so I bought a book with 15 intermediate Mozart pieces. It is so much fun to play. Playing Mozart's music has taught me to appreciate his musicality and the qualities of his compositons. I find his short pieces perfect for aquiring good tecnique since they require great attention to details for that "Mozart sound".

Has anyone else experienced that playing a certain composer's music opened a new and unexpected musical world?

Yes. I had similar experiences with Bach and Schumann and now hope to come to new terms with Chopin (whom I don't like so far).

Playing music works like a miracle ...

Just wondering whether it can happen the other way round as well - that you love a composer but start to hate his/her music as soon as you start playing it?

my teacher thinks Mozart and Bach are his top 2 favourites, and many serious pianists think the same.

i always find Mozart difficult to play, not about learning notes but playing well. when your techniques are not up to it, it shows. the same could be said about Scarlatti, whose music also requires that particular 'sound', which unless you can play well you're not going to produce that right sound.

The Other Side of the Keyboard

I have always loved classical music. It is a major part of my life--as major as could be without being a professional musician. I spend a lot of time listening to it and constantly being enriched by it.

However, in all my listening time there have been some composers that I just couldn't grab onto. Chopin, Schubert, some Mozart...some others that just didn't do it to me as a listener. I attribute that to my mostly liking a Romantic sound of a full orchestra. I could listen to orchestra music all day. The sound of a piano (admittedly on the radio or CD) would acoustically tire me out fairly soon.

Then about ten years ago I started teaching myself the keyboard. The advent of practical electronic instruments meant that I could afford to have a reasonable one with which to learn.

I plugged away for some time and got a respectable sound and technique--my handle BWV846 refers to the first prelude of Book 1 of Bach's WTC--a piece of musical wonderment that always amazes me when I play it.

I found the book that has all the sample tunes on my keyboard (Yamaha P60) I started listening to them and reading along with the sheet music. (My musical score reading abilities are quite good.) As I tried to play these pieces--still well beyond my present abilities--I could feel myself appreciating Chopin and Schubert more and more. Being on the side of the keyboard that MAKES the music is a different feeling that being on the listening side. Playing these pieces even with my usual big faults is wonderfully satisfying.

Playing the keyboard has tremendously helped my listening abilities. I used to listen to orchestra music and enjoy the changing tibre of the sound. With a keyboard I am listening more to the structure of music and appreciating it even more.

There must have been some "strange brew" in your teacup :p

The piano works are, of course, simply outstanding - but if you want to hear Mozart at his very best check out his series of pieces known as "Serenades" or "Divertimenti" (usually for smaller chamber orchestra) - there is nothing more delightful or enjoyable in the entire Classical music realm! (piano transcriptions are available).

Regards, JF

Check out the Mozart Sonatinas. They are arrangements but are at an easyish level and delightful.

Thanks for this post Akvarn, I'm too not crazy about Mozart but I'm going to look at the pieces in that book to see if I develop a taste for him. The "fun to play" caught my interest.

If it doesn't work out for me it's no big deal there are plenty of composers and their music which I love but good to hear that you gave it a chance.

That's crazy not to be too crazy about Mozart :p

Regards, JF

JF and keyboardklutz: Thanks for the suggestions. The serenades seem to be out of my league at the moment but I might give the sonatinas a try. There was probably some "strange brew" called coffee in the teacup.

When I started to play the piano my goal was to be able to play Rachmaninov's music. In a sense it still is but if you can play Mozart's music you can probably play Rachmaninov's too. I am not sure it works the other way around. That's not to say I dislike or hate Rach's music now - on the contrary - but perspective has changed, I guess.

I think it is at least as much fun to play Mozart's music as to listen to it. Maybe it will be more fun to listen to Rach's music than to play it...

And now some Schumann to escape the portato for a while.

No not necessarily JF, people have different tastes in music, books etc. It would be crazy if I forced myself to like something I don't like just for the sake of it or just to act like a sheep and follow everybody else.

I've never liked Bach either although I'm doing some of his pieces. Mozart and Bach just don't do it for me.

I do like Beethoven, Schubert, Grieg and some of Chopin. I find their music more interesting to me and I don't think any less of people who don't like them.

Different strokes for different folks I always say.

OG - I hope you understand that I was only kidding you (hence the :p in my post) - I support you fully in whatever & whomever you want to play (with the possible exception of some 20th century stuff that grates on the eardrum) and have enjoyed your recordings since you started posting them (with the harrass . . ., er, a , encouragement of me).


That's what the scull crew from Whatsamatta U. said as they kept going in circles

Regards, JF

Hey Keyboardklutz,

Do you have a specific recomendation for the Mozart Sonatinas, preferably a publication of several? If you have an ISBN, that would be great.

OOPs. Double post.

To be honest Mozart isn't my cup of tea either. Even my teacher aid I'm not suitable to play his pieces.

When I actually have to learn them, I have mixed feelings, not sure if I actually enjoy them or not but when I stop playing, I don't ever feel like playing a new piece by Mozart.

I'm more of a romantic era person. A bit of 20th century, jazz and pop suits me fine as well.

Yarr JF, I know you were yanking my chain. I just go along with it for the heck of it.

I'm doing a duet with my teacher by Schubert "Serenade" that piece really speaks to me. I find it absolutely beautiful.

Here's an mp3 of the recording on the cd that came with the book. This is not us playing btw

http://www.box.net/shared/34zhsci2ga

I'm not by my books so can't say which my ones are. Google 'Mozart - Six "Viennese" Sonatinas' and see what's on offer.

Agreed - that is a beautiful piece - it's saying alot to me too - you should realy enjoy working on that! Good luck.

Regards, JF

Oxfords Gal: That Schubert piece is beautiful music. Good luck with your current project and Mozart, too.

While listening to the radio yesterday they interviewed one of Norway's well known (in Norway, anyway) composers/pianists. His name is Wolfgang Plagge, by the way. They asked him if he had always liked Mozart. "No", he said. It had taken him years to learn to appreciate Mozart's music because he initially thought it was too "light-footed".

That's how I have felt when I was younger. Originally I thought Mozart's music was a delightful confection but not very 'deep'. There is no doubt that he did dash off some of his keyboard works without too much care and effort (eg some of the sonatas have almost no dynamics) but others are like precious gems. As I get older I appreciate Mozart more and more - that subtle yearning and sadness beneath the laughter.

That's because most are for the harpsichord.