Happy Birthday, Wolfgang!

Dear Pali Pres,

Not too long ago I was flipping through the channels and was lucky enough to catch a good portion of the 1984 classic Amadeus on television. It had been a long time since I had seen it and forgot how compelling it is (the film won a slew of awards, including the Oscar for Best Picture). The story, the acting, and (of course) the music make it such an enjoyable and engaging movie.

Watching Amadeus again made me lament how little I know about music, especially classical music. I’ve never been confused for a music aficionado; Mary or Pierre or Anthony will definitely confirm this! However, I do love and appreciate good music when I hear it and the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart certainly qualifies.

Tomorrow, January 27, is Mozart’s birthday. He was born in present-day Austria in 1756 and although he only lived to be 35 years old, many consider Mozart’s musical works to be divine. After seeing him perform, the great French philosopher and writer Voltaire is said to have remarked that he had at last seen a miracle. Likewise, the renowned Swiss theologian Karl Barth once wrote, “It may be that when the angels go about their task of praising God, they play only Bach. I am sure, however, that when they are together en famille, they play Mozart — and that then, too, our dear Lord listens with special pleasure.”

Perhaps you too have a passionate love of Mozart, or (like me) are simply moved by his music though you don’t know exactly what to listen for. Either way, I am sure we can all feel thankful for the remarkable, larger-than-life people who have graced this world and contributed something extraordinarily beautiful along the way.

Happy Birthday, Wolfgang!

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Matt

PS—I can’t help but include here one of my favorite scenes from Amadeus.