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: Murder in Florence

[selenak]

I'm glad to hear it! and ah, yes, Laudomia Forteguerri. I was all set to ship her with Margaret as well because I had seen some YouTube vid which I was unable to find again later, and then I first read the Margaret biography by Charlie R. Steen, and then the Alessandro biography by Catherine Fletcher, and while these two had diametrically opposite views on, say, all things Alessandro, but also on the rest of the Medici clan, and Emperor Charles V., it was noticable neither mentioned Laudomia, except Steen in a sentence ("L.F., a Sienese poet, celebrated her in poetry", or something nonedescript like that). Now Fletcher obviously has another focus (i.e. Alessandro - Margaret herself is only a supporting character in her book who shows up in the last third), but Steen comes across a bit dry but not like a no-homo'ing type of biographer. I still felt let down, until I thought again, reread what was online and deduced the problem seems to be that we have exactly zilch data on what, if anything, Margaret thought about Laudomia, let alone what she felt. (Plus Steen was more interested in Margaret the politician anyway.) So anything between standard "poet hopes to gain patron, writes praise poetry" to an actual love poetry is possible. And while in fiction that's easy to overcome, non fiction biographers are thus deterred.

(And Margaret is actually on the record about quite a few people in her life, including husband No.2, Ottavio Farnese, whom she couldn't stand. Now her refusal to have sex with him for years could be due to orientation, sure, but it could also be Ottavio-specific. Starting with the very teenage way their wedding night went - he was several years younger than her - , which was: Ottavio: I totally did it with Margaret!
Margaret: He did not. He just wet himself.
Ottavio: I hate you forever for telling and shall never forgive you.
Margaret: Fine by me.)

Doesn't mean I wouldn't enjoy a Margaret/Laudomia story! I've bookmarked your links. As I said, fiction is made to fill in those "we just don't know" gaps!