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

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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)

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From:

selenak

Good grief. That sounds like tumblr history, alright. Though to be fair: Fritz DID try to marry MT in the early 1730s, kinda, as in, he gave Grumbkow a near heart attack suggesting it, repeatedly. And FW being personally present at Katte's execution is in the proud tradition of Voltaire's memoirs and several ~~other~~ fanfics, though I don't think I've read him holding Fritz' eyes open yet.

As for the pink palace, yeah, I got nothing. Well, I guess someone somewhere saw a photo of the Neues Palais and thought it was the main building? Doesn't explain the pink interior, though.

No younger brothers: here even my imagination fails at coming up with an explanation. I mean, at the very least, how to do they think the Hohenzollern line continued, given that Fritz had no kids? Why was there W2 around to bother the world in WWI? Where did he come from?

From:

felis

Though to be fair: Fritz DID try to marry MT in the early 1730s

Oh, I sure know that, thanks to you, and apparently podcast guy found out about it as well - and then googled MT without checking his dates re: Dad's death and subsequently came up with the out-of-nowhere explanation that Fritz was into powerful women, even though he rather famously very much wasn't? I don't know.

Speaking of Voltaire's memoirs, they do get a mention - as a source for the homosexual lifestyle of course - as does the fact that Voltaire lived in Sanssouci for a while and then fled "under mysterious circumstances, in the middle of the night". Noooot really all that mysterious, guys! Both he and Fritz made damn sure of that!

I guess someone somewhere saw a photo of the Neues Palais and thought it was the main building?

Thing is, the guy sounds like he's been there himself, complete with "if you are ever in Berlin, make the trip, it's awesome and even gayer than I described, I promise". And yet, quote: Frederick "built himself an enormous pink rococo palace on top of a giant staircase with fountains and great trellises and called it Sanssouci". I got nothing either.

how to do they think the Hohenzollern line continued, given that Fritz had no kids?

Matrilinear maybe? They are aware that he didn't have kids and was succeeded by his nephew at least, even mention the grave episode.

From:

mildred_of_midgard

Though to be fair: Fritz DID try to marry MT in the early 1730s, kinda, as in, he gave Grumbkow a near heart attack suggesting it, repeatedly.

And kudos to the podcast for knowing this, since we didn't at the beginning of salon, but--because she was empress regent?! And because he was attracted to this?! Even if you don't know his motivations, you can check her dates, as

felis pointed out.

As for the pink palace, yeah, I got nothing. Well, I guess someone somewhere saw a photo of the Neues Palais and thought it was the main building?

To be fair, Fritz himself had his books stamped "S" for "Sanssouci" at the Neues Palais, but it's still not a "giant pink palace his wife wasn't allowed to visit"!

And even if it *was* pink, pink, pink...pink coding as feminine/gay was a 20th century development! It wouldn't mean what I take the podcast to be implying it means! Wrong on so many levels.

I mean, at the very least, how to do they think the Hohenzollern line continued, given that Fritz had no kids?

Post-1730 younger brothers?