Truemors
Happy birthday, Wolfie! (Yesterday, actually). This year is the 251st anniversary of his birth in Salzburg (he hated Salzburg). I was lucky enough to visit Salzburg last year, during the 250th anniversary. I went to Frankfurt am Main for a couple of weeks on leave from the war in Afghanistan to revisit some old stomping grounds, and took a 'mini-trip' for 3 days to Salzburg. If I wanted to take more time, I should have went to Vienna - a city he loved. Salzburg was a bit dreary, and it did snow hard one of the days there (early April). The Mozart sites were cool, though, and worth the trip. Salzburg (like any city) was not shy, however, about making a Euro or two off of its most well-known son.
Joseph Haydn once remarked that W.A. Mozart was the greatest composer known to him 'in person or by reputation'. High praise indeed. In the multi-Grammy Award winning film Amadeus, a line is given to rival composer Antonio Salieri, where he tells Wolfgang that 'you are the greatest composer yet known to me' ... obviously ripping off Haydn's view.
His music (along with that of vocalist/fiddler/bandleader/producer Alison Krauss - 20 Grammy's, most ever by a female and 7th-most all-time) is my main inspiration for learning the violin.
This painting was done by Barbara Krafft in 1819.
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