A few nights ago I saw the movie "Inside Llewyn Davis". I thought it was a so-so movie but I found its point rather thought- provoking, even though I only got the point when it was explained to me later, after I'd already seen the movie. Anyway, the point, as I now understand it - and if you haven't yet seen "Inside Llewyn Davis " and are planning to, this might be a bit of a spoiler; on the other hand, knowing in advance what the film is supposed to be about might make it make more sense- is that it's the story of a gifted folk musician from the early 1960's (based loosely on the folk musician Dave Van Ronk) who was destined to oblivion in the music world because, good as he was , there was talent in that time and place that soared far above his own.
This same story was differently and much better told, I thought, in the 1984 film "Amadeus". This was the story told from the point of view of Antonio Salieri, a successful 18th Century composer who nonetheless lacked the musical gift bestowed on his rival Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. And so Mozart's works lived on after him while Salieri's were forgotten in his own lifetime.
According to the movie Salieri ended up in an insane asylum still burning with envy of Mozart. And yet here's another story:
The was a 16-year-old German boy whose dream was to study music with the great composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He was quiet, shy, and had few friends, but inside he yearned and burned to be taught by Mozart.
Though the boy's family was not well-off, they raised the money to send him alone to Vienna, Austria, for an audition with Mozart.
Now Mozart had no interest in teaching this boy, but the boy's mother's cousin was a friend of Mozart's friend Emanuel Schikaneder's mother's cousin's sister-in-law's...well, you get the idea. So Mozart agreed to audition the boy as a favor to his friend.
When the boy arrived at Mozart's house Schikaneder was there as well. What the two men saw was a big, awkward, clumsy, pimply-faced teenager who could only seem to answer questions in a mumble. Anyway, Mozart led the kid to his piano and gave him a piece of music to sight read.
The boy played the piece badly. While he slugged through it Mozart had to suppress his laughter because he had the impression of a bear trying to play the piano.
When the boy finished Mozart thanked him but told him that he was sorry, he wasn't taking any students just then. Red-faced and on the verge of tears, the boy headed slowly for the door. But then boy turned back to Mozart and somehow found the courage to say,
"I want to learn to be a composer. Please let me play you something I've written myself."
Mozart, who was basically a nice guy, shrugged and said, "Eh, sure." (Or an 18th Century German translation of "Eh, sure.")
So the boy went back to the piano and began playing pieces that he'd composed.
It was like nothing Mozart had heard before. It was different. It was wonderful.
When the boy had finished playing Mozart turned to his friend and said,
"Mark that young man; he will make a name in the world."
So Mozart agreed to take the boy on as a composition student but before their first lesson the boy received an emergency message that his mother was very ill, maybe dying, and the boy needed to return home at once.
So the boy left for home before having his first lesson with Mozart.
It was several months before he was able to return to Vienna and by that time Mozart was dead.
So the boy ended up studying music composition under another teacher, Antonio Salieri.
The boy's name was Ludwig von Beethoven.
This same story was differently and much better told, I thought, in the 1984 film "Amadeus". This was the story told from the point of view of Antonio Salieri, a successful 18th Century composer who nonetheless lacked the musical gift bestowed on his rival Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. And so Mozart's works lived on after him while Salieri's were forgotten in his own lifetime.
According to the movie Salieri ended up in an insane asylum still burning with envy of Mozart. And yet here's another story:
The was a 16-year-old German boy whose dream was to study music with the great composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He was quiet, shy, and had few friends, but inside he yearned and burned to be taught by Mozart.
Though the boy's family was not well-off, they raised the money to send him alone to Vienna, Austria, for an audition with Mozart.
Now Mozart had no interest in teaching this boy, but the boy's mother's cousin was a friend of Mozart's friend Emanuel Schikaneder's mother's cousin's sister-in-law's...well, you get the idea. So Mozart agreed to audition the boy as a favor to his friend.
When the boy arrived at Mozart's house Schikaneder was there as well. What the two men saw was a big, awkward, clumsy, pimply-faced teenager who could only seem to answer questions in a mumble. Anyway, Mozart led the kid to his piano and gave him a piece of music to sight read.
The boy played the piece badly. While he slugged through it Mozart had to suppress his laughter because he had the impression of a bear trying to play the piano.
When the boy finished Mozart thanked him but told him that he was sorry, he wasn't taking any students just then. Red-faced and on the verge of tears, the boy headed slowly for the door. But then boy turned back to Mozart and somehow found the courage to say,
"I want to learn to be a composer. Please let me play you something I've written myself."
Mozart, who was basically a nice guy, shrugged and said, "Eh, sure." (Or an 18th Century German translation of "Eh, sure.")
So the boy went back to the piano and began playing pieces that he'd composed.
It was like nothing Mozart had heard before. It was different. It was wonderful.
When the boy had finished playing Mozart turned to his friend and said,
"Mark that young man; he will make a name in the world."
So Mozart agreed to take the boy on as a composition student but before their first lesson the boy received an emergency message that his mother was very ill, maybe dying, and the boy needed to return home at once.
So the boy left for home before having his first lesson with Mozart.
It was several months before he was able to return to Vienna and by that time Mozart was dead.
So the boy ended up studying music composition under another teacher, Antonio Salieri.
The boy's name was Ludwig von Beethoven.
PS: This story is true, but it's like gospel truth: there are several versions of it. This is one of those versions.
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