Passion

[cosmolinguist]

Last week in Modern Russian Intellectualism we were talking about Aleksandr Pushkin, and we read a play called Mozart and Salieri, which I really liked. Salieri is driven crazy by the fact that he works so hard at his music yet knows he's stuck being medocre, while Mozart knows he doesn't even have to try and he will be worshipped for the genius he is (and Salieri worships him, too, even though he hates him).

I sympathize with Salieri. I don't like Mozart. He was apparently a twit in real life, but I don't even like his music. I went around muttering about this, comparing him to cool people like Beethoven who have some attitude in their music, some passion.

The next thing we read for that class were a couple of Tolstoy's short stories. One that's in the book that we did not read is called "The Kreutzer Sonata," and our professor was telling us about this. Aparently it's about some guy who kills someone whenever he hears this piece of music, which is by Beethoven.

I kind of laughed, and the prof looked over at me and asked what was so funny. I said "This is why Beethoven is better than Mozart: I don't think anybody would ever kill anybody over Mozart's music!"

Comments

[mr-orgash.livejournal.com]

I woulda just said, "I find murder amusing, don't you?" Give the prof something to think about, y'know?

Re:

[cosmolinguist]

Heh. It wouldn't have worked, though; the guy knows me too well. I was in another class he taught, last semester, and was rather invisible the whole time. But as soon as this semester started he somehow got the idea that I'm smart. And sarcastic. And he probably doeesn't believe a single thing I say now. :-) Much more fun.

Re:

[mr-orgash.livejournal.com]

Try and convince him you're not you, but are, in fact, your evil, monstrous twin...

Re:

[cosmolinguist]

I already am my evil monstrous twin! The good twin got out of college in four years and is doing something normal and boring that will make her a lot of money, not to mention making her parents proud of her and impressing everybody at the high-school reunions she's dying to be old enough to go to.

The only thing I've done that would impress my high-school classmates is date the weird boy they said I should date, whom I didn't date because I didn't want to (and he didn't want to date me). I am still annoyed that they ended up being right about that.

Re:

[mr-orgash.livejournal.com]

Ahhhhhhhh, there's hope for you yet.

[gentleman-lech.livejournal.com]

I'm reminded of A Clockwork Orange. I could use a little of the Ludwig Van.

[evil-grapefruit.livejournal.com]

Many people are twits... we should give them and dweebs breaks!
Jenn

[photomoviegeek.livejournal.com]

how could you not like Mozart? It's nearly impossible to say Beethoven was better than Ludwig, or vice versa...
Perhaps "The Kreutzer Sonata" was the inspiration for Clockwork Orange.

[cosmolinguist]

I dislike Mozart because his music seems very frilly, decorative without being interesting or moving. Not all the time, sure (he has a couple things that I like, but none of the big famous orchestral stuff does it for me), but enough that my overall impression of him is not favorable.

It's not an objective opinion, of course, and I don't claim anything more than "I like Beethoven better than Mozart because his music draws out passion in people." :-)