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| Constanze Mozart, painted around their marriage |
Discussion Questions for Gay’s Mozart: A Life: Chs 4-5, “The
Freelance” and “The Beggar”
Answer TWO of the following in a developed response (at least a few
sentences per question, using specific details/examples—see previous comments
for examples if you’re unsure as to what constitutes a good response)
1. According to Gay’s biography, do you think Mozart was in love with
Constanze? How does he write about her
to his father? What other motives might
have been behind this match—and should we suspect her motives as well?
2. On page 91, we get the interesting comment that “In Mozart’s mind
vanity and status anxiety were intertwined.”
What do you make of this interpretation of Mozart’s character? Why was he “vain,” and what did “status” mean
for him? Why was he so desperate to live
beyond his means, and how did this relate to his music?
3. On page 74, we get a list of a single Mozart concert in 1783 which
features numerous works in several different genres. Why did Mozart write so much music? Can someone write so much and have it all be
good (wouldn’t some of it have to be of lesser quality/inspiration)? Do you feel Mozart composed more from
psychological compulsion (he had to), aesthetic enjoyment (he wanted to), or
practical necessity (he had debts)?
4. In general, do you think Gay is sympathetic toward Mozart, the
man? While he clearly adores the
composer, the portrait of the human being might be more ambiguous. Should a biographer have affection—or
admiration—for his subject, and do you think he should communicate this to the
reader? Or should he remain unbiased and
objective?
Kendall Dobbs:
ReplyDelete1. I think that Mozart admired Constanze, but I do not think he was head over heels in love with her. In a letter to his father, Mozart gives three reasons as to why he wants to be with Constanze, all of which are selfish reasons rather than reasons of true love (p. 70). Mozart does later tell his father of Constanze’s beauty and good housekeeping skills, but not in much detail. I almost feel as if it were more of a side note rather than the focus of the letter. I think Mozart’s motives in marriage were 1) for his “sexual appetite” (p. 71) and 2) to fill the void of companionship that was fading between him and his father. As for Constanze’s motives, I assume they would be typical to most females of the 18th century. Maybe to secure a promise of family and security? Or maybe she just wanted to get away from her mother, who “drank too much” (p. 69)?
4. It is obvious that Gay admires Mozart as a composer, but I can’t figure out how he views Mozart as a man. At some points, Gay writes in a way that makes us feel incredibly sorry for the life Mozart is living (regarding Mozart’s father). On the other hand, Gay also portrays Mozart to be a pathetic, immature child (regarding the constant need for more money). I think that biographers have to have some affection and admiration for their subject, or they wouldn't embark on the huge task of writing the biography. It is a huge time commitment (I have had a little experience with this last spring)! While there is the element of admiration, the biographer still needs to present the facts as unbiased as he/she can. If too much of the affection comes through, the reader may not be getting an accurate picture of who the subject was. And wouldn't that defeat the entire purpose of the biography?
1) Mozart and Constaze were well-suited. One can assume he loved her because there was no ulterior motive, despite the fact he had built-in maid, cook, and laundress as he said to Leopold. She was poor with no dowry and she was a flirt, which made Mozart jealous. They had music and a sense of humor in common. He downplayed her attributes to Leopold to hopefully keep his father from being so angry at him for marrying.
ReplyDelete3) Mozart was a prolific composer for a combination of all the above mentioned reasons. First, his innate talent compelled him to compose. I can only imagine the melodies and music filling his mind faster than he could get it on paper. Second, Mozart had a genuine love for music-especially his own as demonstrated by his playing his own pieces in concerts and other performances. Writing can be a catharsis for stress. Composing probably was the same for Mozart. Last, he wrote a variety of genres of music to suit a variety of audiences in order to maximize the money he could make from his music. He had no desire to be a starving artist.
Stefan Schodlbauer
ReplyDelete1) From my point of view, its not easy to know what was happening to Mozart. In one hand, we can think that he is in love with her and they are in a good relation (music one item that they had in common) but on the other hand I think that everything that he does its not a fully passion love. It was not easy to be in love in that time, many reasons like 'tradition', who made you marry the person that your family wanted where common for everyone.
3) Mozart was a great composer since he was 4 years old. Music was inside him, he born with that. His father help him a lot to be one of the best composer in life. In one way, he was kind of influence by his father, that's why he wrote so much music. From my point of view, he composed more from the psychological compulsion because once he started to get on well with music (little boy), Leopold wanted to make his son a great artist. Because of that, he had to compose, if not it was like you are not continuing with music tradition.
Josh Coats
ReplyDelete1. From what Gay writes, I do not think Mozart loved his wife, Constanze. On page 71, Gay writes that Mozart viewed his wife as being an ordinary woman "far from beautiful." He proclaimed this to his father, which screams to me that he really isn't "into" her. I think that maybe he married her just to make daddy angry; he had some daddy issues and this is evident, to me, with the marriage. However, Gay does claim that Mozart and Constanze fulfilled each other sexually. For Mozart, this had to be extremely important. Constanze, according to Mozart, loved to spend her time at spas and away from the home. I think maybe she could have just been a "gold digger."
3. Mozart composed music of all genres because he wanted to "satisfy the taste of his listeners" (75). I feel like Mozart wanted to appeal to a broader audience to increase his revenue. He had a problem with money and always spent way too much on frivolous things. However, he had something inside of him that made him crank out melodies, concertos, operas, string quartets, and so much more. Mozart wrote for the beauty of music, obviously, because if he didn't, his music wouldn't be around today. His music has stood the test of time because it was different and had such beauty that hadn't been heard before his time. Mozart wrote music because of psychological reasons and also because he enjoyed it. He rarely had to edit his music, so this tells me that he heard his music so perfectly in his head had he HAD to get it down on paper.
Destiny Coley
ReplyDelete1. I think that Mozart was in love with the idea of being in love with her. He wanted to be completely and madly in love. His reasoning behind that was selfish and ridiculous. He was mainly sexually attracted to her and liked the idea of having a housewife. It seemed as if he wanted to just marry and get it over with.
4. Gay clearly adores the composer. I feel as if in some points he wants to be sympathetic for parts of the life Mozart has lived. I think that the way he feels about the man is sometimes unclear. Sometimes he talks highly about how great he was in many aspects but I feel like al of that usually leads back to the compose side. I think a biographer should have affection or admiration for his subject to enjoy what he is writing about. I think they should communicate with the reader to keep them interested. I feel like if they try to remain unbiased then they will be lying to the reader because everybody is opinionated and will choose a side, but if they stay unbiased they will be able to just give details about the life they are talking bout and nothing else.
Gary Lack
ReplyDelete1. I believe that Mozart loved his wife, but was unhappy with her antics in flirting with other men. Mozart and his wife had satisfaction in the bedroom and he was attracted to her and wanted to marry her for comfort and the shape of her body. This made it hard on Mozart do to all the music he was writing and this gave little time for his marriage.
Gary--be sure to answer TWO of the questions in your response to get credit. Answering these questions is good practice/pre-writing for later assignments that will involve this book. You can go back and answer another question since you might have misunderstood the assignment.
DeleteShannon Southwell:
ReplyDelete3) I feel like Mozart composed all the music that he did, because his father pushed him to do it. Mozart felt like he had no choice to do anything else, his father was always right there pushing him to compose and play. When Mozart started becoming of age, his father realized that his son was going to start being interested in women and have urges, but Leopold Mozart would do anything to make his son continue to write. Mozart may have started composing because he liked it, but I feel like toward the end of his career he continued to compose because he was 'brain washed' by his dad.
4) Gay might have been sympathetic on some things. Like from reading, I got that Gay did not like how Leopold ran Mozart's life. But when Mozart started begging everyone for money, it was almost like Gay was annoyed with Mozart, because he this great composer that makes so much in a year, and here he is asking other people for money. To me it seemed like almost a scam. I think a biographer should have some interest in his subject; if they didn't then it would be hard for the biographer to write a biography over that person. A biographer should have their opinions in their book, but in the most part I feel like the book should be unbiased, and let the reader form their own opinion.
Zachary Martin
ReplyDelete1. I think Mozart loved Constanze, but did not fully appreciate her. He writes letters to his father discussing selfish reasons to why he was with her rather than reasons of true love towards her. Constanze seemed more to towards wanting to get away from her mother, and enjoy Mozart's money, due to being away from home and "at spas" most of the time.
3. I believe he wrote so much music because he felt he had to. His father pushed him from such a young age to compose, practice, and basically live music. He wasnt allowed to do much besides compose and play, so it was more a psychological compulsion. Even through the years when he got married he still felt the need to compose, though I think eventually he became to enjoy writing and playing rather than writing it out of habit.
Kay Shurtleff
ReplyDelete1. I don't think he was in love with Constanze at first...I think she had everything he needed in a wife, someone to do his stuff and support him...he perhaps was trying to replace her sister in his mind. He had affection for her but not "in love with". He more than likely grew to love her.
Number 3. I think Mozart wrote so much music and such as wide variety of music for a couple different reasons. First of all, he was trying to make money on his own after he got away from his father. He also loved to have a pleased audience it seems so he composed many unique pieces to entertain and receive praise in return. It seems like this was important to him. Also, for the simple fact he loved to do it.
ReplyDeleteAlaura Lackey
ReplyDelete1. While reading through these chapters at first I was not sure that Mozart actually loved Constanza, but rather lust for her. It is natural for any human being to have "urges", but it almost seems as though Mozart experiences them more frequently than most. Then again, we are only seeing what Gay wants us to see. Later throughout the chapter, I think Mozart either fell in love with her, or started showing more affection toward her. At the beginning of their love affair it is almost like she was just there when he needed someone. Like he was settling for her, because there was no one else he thought suitable. After reading some of his letters it looks as though he does love her. His letters are sometimes playful in a manner that one would only have toward their loved ones.
4. I believe that the author is sympathetic toward Mozart. He tends to play Mozart as the victim of most situations. I think that any author should be affectionate toward whomever they are writing about. If Gay had no affection toward Mozart, the book would be dry and boring. It would be nothing, but straight facts with no emotion or feeling. Although I think it is important to have some affection toward your subject, I do not believe that it always has to be positive affection. For example, Gay could despise and look down upon Mozart, but could still write a great book about him. Without the affection the book would be meaningless.
1. Despite whatever motives Constanze might have had concerning Mozart’s money and their genuine attraction (after all, Mozart went after her sister first), I think it is reasonable to assume that Mozart and Constanze had a productive and loving relationship. There may lack dramatic passion and exciting tales of their courtship, but their bond was quite strong. On page 71 the author states, “her sensual appetites seem to have matches Mozart’s own.” I think this is most important to Mozart, an immature, passionate man whose entire career is built around the senses. Constanze satisfied his insatiable need for affection and tolerated his shortcomings. I believe their compatible sexual relationship blossomed into a deeper, more meaningful and intensely personal love between Mozart and Constanze.
ReplyDelete3. I think that after his marriage to Constanze in August of 1782, Mozart had significantly more time to compose because everyday tasks were taken over by his wife. Also due to their marriage, Mozart had more people to financially support, particularly in anticipation of children. I mostly think Mozart absolutely loved music, hearing, making, and experimenting with it. On page 75 the author says the composer “relished working with new instruments…or discovering new possibilities for familiar ones.” Despite his lifelong conditioning to constantly compose and perform music, he seems to have retained a serious love of it, or else his compositions would have suffered in quality or discontinued altogether.
Weston Haynes
ReplyDelete3.) I feel that a artist can get caught in his or her work real easily. Even though Mozart wrote many pieces of music, I have a feeling that he wasn't aware that he was writing that much. It seems that he was putting all of his complex emotions, rages, and frustration into the music. Mozart felt that he had a necessity to please his audiences and he also had high expectations for himself. His father instilled honor in him, and Mozart felt that he also had to honor the crowd and listeners by writing and playing large compositions of music. A great artist like Mozart would not have too hard of a time writing and composing pieces of music. In a way, it just came naturally to Mozart. Also with high expectations from everyone including his father, Mozart more or so felt compelled to deliver his music not only because he needed the money, but because he felt it was his God given job to do. Mozart enjoyed writing music, but I feel like sometimes he wanted a break, but never got one because of his father and expectations from others.
4.) I feel that Peter Gay is affectionate and understanding of Mozart. He sees this man as not just an artist, but a complex individual who in many eyes was "special" yet "confusing" at times. I don't think it would be wise to view a person you writing a biography about with one sided views such as being totally positive or negative. I believe that in the end you are trying to dive deeper into the traits and characteristics of the subject your writing about and try to make the reader and/or listener feel like he knows the person. Peter Gay was not just trying to show how Mozart was famous for his work, but also how he came to be that complex individual people viewed him as. I see Peter Gay being affectionate towards Mozart, but not completely one sided. In the end I don't see Gay trying to sway a readers view of Mozart towards a positive or negative light. He is writing a very interesting informative writing to show the understanding of this child prodigy and why he was the way he was.
Nesha Pickens
ReplyDelete1) I don't think Mozart was in love with Constanze just in love with the things she did for him. He did have love for her but I don't feel he was head over hills for her. When it came to his dad Mozart didn't speak much about her just how great her housekeeping skills were although he did tell him that she was beautiful. If he was really in love I feel like he would have told his dad more than what he did.
2) on page 91, when the comment was made that "in Mozart's mind vanity and status anxiety intertwined." I think it meant that Mozart finally lost his mind from being controlled all the time. He didn't have that abaility to make things work for him anymore so he finally went crazy but didn't want anyone to know. He wanted everyone to still think he was great. Even his music has changed.
Stephanie Callen
ReplyDelete(1) I think Mozart had feelings for her but I don't know if he was in love with her. I think he felt sorry for her and was tired of being alone. He tells his father that her whole beauty consists of two black eyes and a beautiful figure. He says that she is a good housekeeper but also says that she is a victim needing rescued. He just really doesn't talk about her like you would someone you were in love with. He also mentions being reminded of erotic bliss with Basle and that Constanze was a tamer version of her. That makes me think he isn't really in love with Constanze. As far as her motives go, I think she was like any other woman in that time in her need to be married.
(4) I think that Gay admires Mozart as a composer and is a little sympathetic towards him. He doesn't put him on a pedestal by no means and I think this is important when someone writes a biography. Gay portrays the good and the bad yet he remains unbiased. A writer shouldn't communicate their own feelings and opinions when writing a biography and I think Gay does a good job of this.
Ashley Barnes
ReplyDelete1. I feel like their marriage was more a matter of convenience for both of them, Mozart may have liked her and possibly grown to love her, but love was not the reason behind the marriage. He didn't want to be alone and also needed her to fill his sexual desires whenever he pleased without having to go out and find someone else. She needed someone to marry to get away from her mother and to better herself. They both wanted the companionship and bonded mutually of her liking Mozart's music.
3. I think that Mozart wrote mostly out of habit, it was the only thing he had steadily done throughout his life and all that he knew how to do. He must have had some enjoyment out of it because he took pride in how good he knew his compositions were and loved to learn and listen to music from other composers. I think he practiced so many genres to keep from getting bored and maybe to challenge himself with things he was less familiar with,and he was great at them none the less. Although there may have been some other things behind it, he may have wrote to figure out his issues or escape them and continued to write so much and so fast to sustain an income.
summer Junek
ReplyDelete#1 The marriage seemed to be almost like an arrangemnet between two friends. Maybe to further their agendas for the future. I dont believe they fell into true love, though.
#4 When writing a biography one would think it better to keep their own opinions to themselves and out of the book. This may be very difficult to do, depending on the subject at hand. Although, opinions may not be agreed upon the author must remain nuetral.
Cristian C. Nazario Cruz
ReplyDelete1. At that time the marriage wasn't something very romantic or true love, was more for necessity and convenience. But I think Mozart was in love because he take the decision against his father's. (Pag 150)
2. He wanted his audience to recognize him for his music not for his background.
He was vain because he sacrificed a lot for his music to become one of the best artist of his century, and his fear was that his background would affect his achievements.
Status for him was to be known as a great artist.
He wanted to grow as an artist and he did that by adding different instrument to his music.
Amanda VanBuskirk
ReplyDelete1. I do believe he was in love with her. I think it started out as a way to get back at her older sister. I believe he had no intentions of falling in love with her, but he did. They could communicate to one another with such ease as if he was talking to a best friend that he wasn't afraid of being himself with. That and all of the conveniences of marrying her were just perks. He I believe he was just down playing her so his father wouldn't get jealous of her and think she was taking up to much of his time.
Stormee Chestra
ReplyDelete(1) I believe that he honestly loved her. Most of the time you fall in love without even knowing it and that's exactly what he did. He acted the way he did towards her, because if his father knew that he loved her so much he would get mad and think she was maybe poisoning his mind and keeping him from doing what he was supposed to.
(4) I think that the author feels sorry for Mozart or in a way is sympathetic of him. You can tell because in most situations he plays it to where Mozart is the victim of them al and that is not the case.
Walter Braxton Reeves
ReplyDelete1. I honestly feel as if Mozart had love for her, but was not in love with her. Mozart loved the things that she did/provided for him more than just genuine love from the heart for her. When he wrote to his father, he made he sound like the perfect Martha Stewart, instead of a wife that he adored and loved with all his heart.
4. I feel as if the author was so much of a fan of Mozart's work, that he showed sympathy way to much for Mozart. He made Mozart out to be the one that was never wrong, victimizing him in a way when in a lot of cases and a lot of the time, that definitely was not the case.