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: AITA, Rokoko Style

[cahn]

These are SO HILARIOUS

Me: realizes that after all this I STILL cannot tell Kalckreuth and Kaphengst apart :PP (yes, I did go look up the rheinsberg post on Heinrich's boyfriends :P )

Of course I raised holy hell, I mean, who wouldn't, and okay, maybe hitting on his wife wasn't the best tactic, but I know he's been wanting to divorce her for eons.

lolololol

Somehow, this evolved into a situation where this woman whom I had pay my travelling expenses thinks we'll live together while the guy in whose house I lived is having a fit because I had dinner with her on my last evening in town. But did either of them get me the job I wanted? They did not!

AHAHAHAHAHA omg Algarotti
These things just happen to you, don't they

I mean, since we agreed to go platonic anyway, and I'm still as attracted as ever by her mind?

I may have spilled something. VOLTAIRE.

These guys were made for AITA, weren't they! especially Voltaire, omg (and selenak was made for writing their AITA!)

Re: AITA, Rokoko Style

[selenak]

Me: realizes that after all this I STILL cannot tell Kalckreuth and Kaphengst apart

Think of them as Chalk Remorse and Cape Stallion, as Mildred does. :) Or by era: one was mainly 7 Years War, the other the ca. fifteen years later.

AHAHAHAHAHA omg Algarotti
These things just happen to you, don't they

Which is why he clearly was impersonated by a time traveller or several. ;) Mind you, milking them for money while flirting with them (and writing at least one poem to them) does not exactly send a clear NO signal.

Voltaire: quite. I'm sure one could do this meme with him and Rousseau as well, but not me, since I'm not interested in Rousseau...