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Article: Rethinking Mozart; On the 250th anniversary of his birth, a more realistic picture of the composer's musical genius is emerging.
- Article from:
- Newsweek International
- Article date:
- January 30, 2006
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Byline: Andrew Moravcsik (Moravcsik directs the European Union program at Princeton University.)
Mozart has overtaken Beethoven, the favorite son of the 19th century, as the most admired composer in the history of Western music. He has the most recordings. Classical radio stations run a morning Mozart hour. Before the sophisticated audiences of Manhattan, he alone gets his own annual festival: Mostly Mozart. Many believe (despite meager scientific evidence) that if one plays Mozart's music to babies in the womb, they will grow up smarter and more musical--perhaps even a genius like Wolfgang.
In our minds, Mozart has become the archetypal genius, a ...