HAPPY BIRTHDAY WOLFGANG!

Today is the 250th anniversary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birth. Classical music fans around the world are celebrating the child prodigy who managed to write 626 works of music in his all-too-brief 35 years. He revolutionized opera, and I'm sure not an hour goes by when his music isn't being performed or broadcast somewhere in the world. Even Google has a nice logo modification in his honor.

I'm listening to a live broadcast from Salzburg, Austria, Mozart's birthplace. WQXR's own Jeff Spurgeon is on the broadcast team introducing the selections back to America. The Vienna Philharmonic under Ricardo Muti and several great soloists are performing. At a carefully timed intermission, all of the churchbells in the city will ring, to mark the exact moment of Mozart's birth (known because his father, Leopold, recorded it in a letter).

I can't say Mozart is my favorite composer--I prefer later works written for larger, more varied orchestras--but I still find his music wonderful. So happy birthday, Wolfgang! Thanks for all the great music. Somehow, I think they'll still be listening to it in another quarter millenium.