Mozart & Me

A lifelong passion for Mozart and his music

My first website of Mozart formally launched as Classical Music Lounge (cmlounge.wordpress.com) back in 2005.  Few more websites were created and closed, however, my involvement with various Mozart groups worldwide widened.

Through the years, my interest and enormous self-studies have been focused mainly on classical music composers in general, and Mozart in particular, his life and music, his contemporaries, and classical music until the late Romantic Period.

Classical Music Lounge was followed by Mozart and Classical Music, formally closed in 2015.  My focus remained: Wolfgang Mozart, his life and music, his contemporaries, and in general, classical music until the late Romantic Period.  As the scope broadened and my involvement with various Mozart groups worldwide grew, I created few more related websites.

In particular, I decided to create two  major websites: one focused on Mozart's life and times, and the other, a  more generalised blog in terms of scope which I simply called 'Classical Music,' however, my focus remained.  I've profiled  "Classical Music' in a separate page, here:  About Classical Music

Simply Mozart!

This website spotlights classical music from Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque until the late Romantic period, and occasional musical trivia. It aims to share insights, in general, composers, their lives and music. And what is classical music without my lifelong favourite composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? Not that I don’t love other composers and their music… Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Chopin, Liszt, Paganini, Verdi, Haydn … the list is endless.

Writing about classical music and Mozart is an offshoot of a lifelong passion in Mozart and classical music from childhood, and stimulation derived from great encouragement and later, support of Mozart friends from various forums and other classical music groups.

Among my all-time favourite performers (interpreters) are Maria Callas, Luciano Pavarotti, Elly Ameling, Dame Joan Sutherland, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. Not to mention favourite conductors. The list is endless, too.


I’ve also written a piece I’ve painstakingly researched and immensely enjoyed – on the divas who interpreted Mozart’s music in his time, including Catarina Cavalieri and Nancy Storace.

The term ‘classical’ has two primary meanings. First, it describes the music of the Classical Period, c.1750-1830, personified by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. Second, it can mean music as an ’art’ as opposed to popular, jazz, folk, or even Christian music.

Quality music deserves more than just casual listening. It is a language of subtlety. Hearing the flow of a concerto or the intensity of a swelling orchestra can create different moods – serenity, excitement and perhaps cataclysm.

Along with my musings and reflections, I will endeavour to integrate the lives and music of these greatest composers and their gift of music, with joyous enthusiasm.

About me:

My writing reflects a lifelong passion for classical music and Mozart, in particular, periods covering from the Renaissance to the late Romantic era. I also write various niche topics including biographies of world's movers & shapers, arts & literature, science, and interesting historical events. Although I studied piano and classic guitar in younger years, my formal experience is in choral music, as a chorister, starting from from teens in church choirs.

After the millennium, in 2001, I surprised my information technology friends of 30 years when I decided on a major change to pursue my passion in writing, that provided more focus in classical music and related topics. 

My passion for classical music and Mozart, in particular, started when I was a child, and my self-study and researches started in my youth. I've relentlessly pursued Mozart and classical music in private studies and researches.  However, my formal online posts of Mozart, and all my other classical music websites (most of them now close), started way back in 2005, from interactions with smaller groups. As friendships developed, I've been greatly blest with friendships through Mozart and other classical music groups, including the MozartForum, Steve Boerner's Mozart Project, Mozart at Yahoo groups, and others including Classical Era, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert.

In particular, I'd like to thank my wonderful and gracious Mozartean friends especially those from the UK, US, Austria, Holland, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Hongkong. I greatly appreciate support and knowledge from my earliest Mozart friends including Agnes Selby (author of Constanze, Mozart's Beloved. Sadly, she passed away this year, 2016), Wim Vingerhoed, Susi Scholze, Daisy Brambletoes, Marti Burger, and Gary Smith; then later friends, fiction author Liz Ringrose and historical writer Stephanie Cowell. I'd like to acknowledge the enormous input from my American friend, Sherry Davis, owner of Modern Day Mozartian.

I've been blest to have their continuing support through their immense knowledge as concert musicians, classical music biographers/writers. I'm indebted to them for their comments, feedback, suggestions and contributions.  It's always exciting to discuss with them,  as we are familiar with significant places, having followed the footsteps of Mozart most especially in Austria (particularly, Salzburg and Vienna), Prague and Germany.

Currently, many more Mozart-friends worldwide (mainly new online friends from Vienna, UK, Salzburg/Mozarteum, Greece, France, Prague, US, and other Mozart-and-classical-music groups) have extended support.

Despite having written numerous articles on classical music, in particular, Mozart and his contemporaries, my passion never seems sated. Three year ago, in 2013, I started courses in classical music from The Teaching Company through the Great Courses. In particular, the topics included: Understanding the Fundamentals of Music, How to Listen and Understand Great Music (2 Vols), Mozart - His Life and Music, How Music and Mathematics Relate, and the Chamber Music of Mozart. Except for How Maths Relate course, I completed all others under the guidance and materials from Dr. Robert Greenberg, Chairman, Dept. of Music History and Literature, San Francisco Performances.  The courses were all provided with guidebooks, DVDs, CDs, and texts.

I'm also a student of the Open Academy at the Con (Sydney Conservatorium of Music), in particular, Ear Training and Sight-Reading courses, to keep up with choral singing life as a chorister with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.    


This site is dedicated to classical music lovers especially my worldwide Mozartian friends.

Omissions and /or inadvertent errors are mine. A pleasure to share passions for Mozart and his music. I continuously welcome constructive feedback, comments, and suggestions.  Enjoy our offerings.


Have a lovely musical day!

Tel 

 

Image Credit:

Thanks to my Dutch Mozartian friend, Wim Vingerhoed. 

Date Posted: Sept 2012
Latest update:  22 January 2017.    

 

 

 

(c) September 2012. Updated September 30, 2022. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.