Small Pleasures in Old Age

                                                                               Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

 

Dear Reader, 

You all probably know more about Mozart than I do but I looked him up and here, in short, is a small account of him. 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27th, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria.  He is widely recognized as one of the greatest composers in the history of western music.  Unlike any other composer in musical history he wrote in all the musical genres of his day and excelled in every one.  His taste, his command of form, and his range of expression have made him seem the most universal of all composers, yet it may also be said that his music was written to accommodate the specific taste of particular audiences.

"The miracle which God let be born in Salzburg" was Mozart's father's description of his son, and he was keenly conscious of his duty to God, as he saw it, to draw the miracle to the notice of the world.  And he did, taking Mozart as a child all over Europe. Yet even in this indulgent rendering of the Mozart legacy, his full-bloodied humanity at times emerges with haunting vividness.

One of the myths about Mozart is that even as adult he remained an inappropriately childish vessel for divinely inspired music and that his premature death was brought about by his composer rival, Salieri.

Mozart's Andante 21 is my favourite piece, and I would like to hear it when I lie dying.

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From Dorothy Wordsworth, June 4th, 1800 in Westmorland 

'I brought home lemon thyme, and several other plants, and planted them by moonlight.'

From Francis Kilvert, June 7th, 1874 in Wiltshire

'Another glowing glorious day of sunshine and unclouded blue.  But every day the drought grows drier and the predicted water famine is stealing upon us.  Every day the pasture grows whiter and more bare  and slippery....Later the warm soft night was laden with perfume and the sweet scent of the syringa.'                                                                                  

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Small Pleasures in Old Age

 

Listening to Mozart’s Andante 21

in front of a log fire

hearing the robin’s call

in early spring

spotting the first violets, first primroses,

 

walking in the woods

sitting under the trees

whilst the bagpipes utter

 

their unique spiritual sounds

watching the deer hurrying

through the undergrowth

 

following the antics

of the Archer family

eating peanut butter sandwiches

 

watching the goldfinch spitting

out seeds, and laughing

at the absurdity of life itself

 

exchanging family news

proudly loving the grandchildren

and their stories

 

small away holidays

with Francis, by the sea

in Dorset

 

And, perhaps,  best of all, having the courage

not to say yes to things

when I mean no.

                                                                                   *

 

My novel : Victoria Scott's Dilemma is available here. It is rather a charming romantic tale with lots of laughter.  Look on Amazon under books: Patricia Huth Victoria and it will come up.

 

 

                                                    VICTORIA  SCOTT'S  DILEMMA

 

With very best wishes, Patricia