18th-Century Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 34

[cahn]

And including Emperor Joseph II!

from Derek Beales: Joseph II, Volume 2: Against the World, 1780 - 1790:

Joseph's alleged comment to Mozart about the Entführung, "Too many notes", has been taken as evidence of his ignorance. But he probably said something like, "Too beautiful for our ears, and monstrous many notes." It is always necessary to bear in mind, when appraising the emperor's remarks, his peculiar brand of humor or sarcasm. He was usually getting at someone. And he did not use the royal "we". The ears in question were those of the Viennese audience, whom he was mocking for their limited appreciation of Mozart's elaborate music.

(though not gonna lie, I think it is a LOT of notes)

Comments

Re: Report from Luz, mostly about Jacobites

[selenak]

The only thing I wonder is whether he would get his head chopped off like a peer, or be treated like a commoner and get the scaffold.

My instinct would be to go with the peer chopping, if only because of how conscious of The Nobility Of The Blood most people in the first half of the 18th century were, even/especially when executing someone. Then again, if one looks at medieval precedence, there's always Edward I. popularizing the drawing and quartering by inflicting it on Davydd ap Gruffyd, and later on William Wallace, both of whom were nobles seen by him as rebelling. (Never mind that Wales and Scotland were still separate realms).

Re: Report from Luz, mostly about Jacobites

[luzula]

Thanks for the input! : ) Yes, I think I'll go with chopping his head off.