Musical History

Music has long been a part of my life. From the time I was born until now I can remember either whistling tunes I had heard at times when I needed to focus my mind or set my mood. It's become an unconcious habit of mine and though I won't do it to the point of distraction, I do do it often enough. Now I'm no fiend for any particular genre of music though I certainly don't limit myself to any particular style. However, if I had to name a preference, I would probably point to orchestral works as one of my favorites simply because my love of movies means that I need to have an appropriate soundtrack in the background.

Whenever I travelled, no matter how far or how close, I would always ensure that I had a collection of music with me to help me set my mood. Whether it was an adventurous piece of music to start a trip somewhere or a mysterious piece to set a spooky mood while driving home at night, I have tons of music that I can consider listening to when the mood strikes. It was cumbersome at one time because I used to have to carry my book of CDs along with my player though now I simply tune into my iPod and I'm happy as a clam (is that even possible?). But it doesn't have to just be movie soundtracks... I am odd in the sense that from childhood I have had an inclination to western classical music though neither of my parents listened to any of it when I grew up.

Though I'm still naive when it comes to understanding everything about music, I know what composers I like and which I don't and there are plenty to choose from. If I had to name my favorites from the composers of the past, I would definitely have a long list but suffice it to say that among Beethoven, Bach, Handel, Mozart and many many others, I enjoy the works of most composers. So it was with a great deal of excitement that I read the news yesterday that researchers in France uncovered a previously undiscovered piece of composition from Mozart himself. Though the page of music is not complete, it is exciting from the standpoint that in it you can see the beginnings of another composition from the famous composer.

The time period of the composition was determined based on the type of paper and writing style that was common to Mozart at the time and had it been completed, it would have been appropriate to the Church music phase which Mozart was heavily steeped in towards the end of his life. Though composers today may not be able to recreate the music as it was created by Mozart or replicated to how he may have heard it in his mind, it is again a piece of important history. Now some would wonder why a piece of unfinished composition would be important but for someone as famous as Mozart, it is yet another piece of music from a career that was tragically cut short.

And whether you believe the theory that Antonio Sallerie 'killed' him or that he died of natural causes, having died before the age of 40 meant that we were denied many more years of music that would have undoubtedly made as much impact today as it did at that time. Music is important in that way because like the musical soundtracks of today, they helped define the tone and mood of the times. They may have been hopeful in times of pessimism but in the end they are works that have stood the test of time. Sure there are pieces today that will undoubtedly be with us for many more years to come, but some of the works of the greats of the past will be there forever, it's important that we preserve all of them, even the incomplete ones.