Mozart is considered one of the greatest composers of European classical music, having written an astonishing number of works in almost every musical genre during his short life. A child prodigy, he began composing music by the age of five and was touring and performing before royalty within a year. He later settled in Vienna, where he reached the height of his success. At the age of 35, he succumbed to an unknown illness, the nature of which remains a mystery.
I look for words in the dark,
silently describing to myself
the particular conditions of the weather
on the morning I saw you most recently—
the wind, its patterned disarray—
my mind elsewhere, distracted, lyrical,
while the pianist plays an encore.
Mozart was born on this day
257 years ago. All day
I have been ungenerous, resentful,
impatient. In between
movements, no applause
but the old ladies cough loudly, violently.
We cannot last forever.
I loved music before I loved books.
I loved Mozart before I loved you.