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: Some more Wilhelmine-Fritz correspondence

[mildred_of_midgard]

Royal Patron would like you to know that he has read Don Quixote in Spanish. :) Most of my knowledge comes from him summarizing it to me a couple years ago, though I was also assigned Man of La Mancha to read in high school.

I'm not planning to read it. You know how I am about literature. ;)