What songs of the 'modern' era would Mozart be proud to have written?

[srw]

Who's the living equivalent to Mozart? Respected musos nominate Stevie Wonder and I'd find that hard to disagree. Anyone have any views?

Let's see.

Writes music that is instantly attractive and memorable - no.
A master of all the forms of music of his day - no.
Able to create everything from a 3-minute miniature to a 3-hour epic and imbue it with genius - no.
Stretches the boundaries in everything he does - no.

I think that's a no, then.

The closest we've got is probably someone like the late Richard Rodney Bennett or John Williams or even someone like Howard Goodall - although none of them will really have the same lasting power. I suspect we'll be surprised which music written today lasts as long as Mozart has.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Let's see.

Writes music that is instantly attractive and memorable
A master of all the forms of music of his day
Able to create everything from a 3-minute miniature to a 3-hour epic and imbue it with genius
Stretches the boundaries in everything he does

John Cale.

 

[PaulB]

Let's see.

Writes music that is instantly attractive and memorable - no. I think you meant 'yes' there.
A master of all the forms of music of his day - no. That's another BIG yes.
Able to create everything from a 3-minute miniature to a 3-hour epic and imbue it with genius - no. Again, yes.
Stretches the boundaries in everything he does - no. Absolutely does.

I corrected your glaring mistakes for you there Stevie Wonder, from being 12 years old, has ALWAYS written instantly attractive and very memorable music. It sold bucketloads so the public are giving you an answer there you choose not to see.

I'm not knocking old Wolfy or nowt but don't recall him playing drums, bass, guitar, harmonica, synthesisers or numerous other instruments (lazy auld get) or writing lyrics and singing. But maybe I missed that mastery of ALL forms of music of his day?

He mos def created EVERYTHING from a 3-minute miniature - the single, to an epic - 'Songs in the Key of Life', 'Secret Life of Plants' etc....

There can be no question that he has stretched the boundaries of everything he does. His career stretches back to 1963; that's virtually 50 years so he couldn't have splurged his entire creative abilities in a short gap but had to stretch it out over a considerable amount of time and he has done that more than admirably.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

John Cale.

...and Mozart never got an OBE.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

He'd have been proud of this

Classic indeed Rockster!

 

[rich p]

Mozart was a necessary 'evil' in order to progress from Bach to 'real' music via Beethoven and the 19th C romantics. Other opinions are of course equally valid.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Mozart was a necessary 'evil' in order to progress from Bach to 'real' music via Beethoven and the 19th C romantics. Other opinions are of course equally valid.

More valid you mean...

 

[rich p]

More valid you mean...

Possibly, but I'm excluding yours.

 

[craigwend]

 

[rich p]

Who can forget the peerless Brotherhood of Man's homage to Wolfie...

 

[srw]

I corrected your glaring mistakes for you there Stevie Wonder, from being 12 years old, has ALWAYS written instantly attractive and very memorable music. It sold bucketloads so the public are giving you an answer there you choose not to see.

I'm not knocking old Wolfy or nowt but don't recall him playing drums, bass, guitar, harmonica, synthesisers or numerous other instruments (lazy auld get) or writing lyrics and singing. But maybe I missed that mastery of ALL forms of music of his day?

He mos def created EVERYTHING from a 3-minute miniature - the single, to an epic - 'Songs in the Key of Life', 'Secret Life of Plants' etc....

Whenever I've heard stuff by Stevie Wonder I've cringed - it's meretricious tosh. I've often wondered if he'd have been as popular as he is if he wasn't blind.

Mozart was a virtuoso on the keyboard, violin and flute before he was in his teens and also played viola. His singing voice was nothing special (but then neither is Wonder's). I've not noticed Stevie Wonder writing opera (a rock album is still a strung-together collection of songs, not a unified whole - and The Secret Life of Plants is less than an hour and a half) or writing serial music or minimalism (two of the main styles of today).

Popularity is no guarantee of quality. After all, the most popular single of last year was Gangnam Style. It'll be forgotten inside a couple of years.

 

[Fnaar]

... most would choose good old Wolfgang Amadeus.
It strikes me that he would readily accept new musical styles and try them himself

That's rubbish, he only ever did classical!

 

[User169]

John Cale.

The best suggestion so far..

 

[vernon]

[QUOTE 2265673, member: 259"]Does Sting wear a wig?[/quote]

No but Stig wears a helmet.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

The best suggestion so far..

See the old boy's playing over your way next month, DP.

http://john-cale.com/live

Bit naffed off actually, dates in the UK end of last year, missed it!