Saturday, August 3, 2013

We brake for Mozart's skull


So here it is a sunny, cool, perfect summer Saturday. Want to guess what I am doing? Guess.

A.) Drinking Chianti at Buffalo's Italian Festival.

B.) Exploring farmers' markets for the perfect eggplants and tomatoes.

C.) Hiking the Niagara Gorge.

D.) Sitting inside reading up on the research French scientists have done on Mozart's skull.

Did someone say "D"?

We have a winner!

OK, in my defense, is does sort of look as if it could rain. And my window is open.

Plus ...

The business about Mozart's skull -- they are pretty sure it was his -- is pretty interesting. The Frenchies, whose names are Pierre-Francois and Bernard Puech, think that he died from a fall. Also there is all this stuff in there about his teeth. I guess most of his teeth had rotted out by the time he died. That was the way things were in the 18th century. In some ways it was not a pretty time!

It's funny, I have not read most of this stuff before. And I read a lot about Mozart.

As the Saturday passes.

La la la la la.


4 comments:

  1. Did he fall? Jump? Or was he pushed? I've wondered the same about Humpty Dumpty.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hahahaa... I can't answer the one about Humpty Dumpty! And I have to say the business about Mozart falling puzzled me, too. I want to look into that. The plot thickens when the researchers say he was hurt in "one of his many falls" in 1791. Though I haven't researched this in depth (I'm up to my neck in all this other research) I've loved Mozart my whole life and read a lot about him recreationally, including his letters, and I do not recall reading about one fall, let alone many falls.

    There is this school of thought -- I always thought without evidence -- that holds that Mozart was a drunk. Maybe the people who say that know something about these falls.

    Another thing, I do know he rode a horse -- maybe he fell from his horse? But you would think someone would have mentioned that.

    Tell me if you learn anything and I will say if I do. I am glad I am not the only one concerned on this sunny Saturday about Mozart's skull!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The book is total hogwash. The skull in Salzburg has nothing to do with Mozart. But of course studying the sources and keeping abreast of the literature is very hard.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dr. Lorenz, what a pleasure and honor to hear from you! And thank you for setting the record straight. I wrote about your conclusion today ... hope you do not mind. I really love your blog. It is such a joy just to know it exists. Thank you!!

    ReplyDelete