Random sheeyat about Hozart
Mozart and Tourette?
Da filthy, excrement-obsessed letters Mozart wrote provide a useful starting point for McConnel.
"Der’s a very rare condition in Tourette’s called coprographia - da need to write down filth. We Touretters have filthy minds! "When yo write a song, az Mozart did, called Lick Out My Arsehole, that in itself iz not so shocking judged by da standards of hiz day. But what iz very odd n Touretty about it iz dat he set it to da mozt gorgeous, sublime toon. Itz Tourettishly inappropriate.“Mah sense of humor iz da same. Ah nevah know when to stop.”
Da language in hiz letterz woz sometimez filthy. Mozart woz obsessed wit filthy verse n breakin wind - evidence, sayz da composer James McConnel, that hiz hero woz a fellow Tourettes sufferer. In da 18th century, filthiness woz largely sanctioned, but Mozart took it further dan even hiz broad-minded contemporaries could accept.
Mozart’s nine letters to hiz cousin Maria Anna, were “full of da obscene childish scatological humor, characteristics, that also runz thru hiz letterz home.” To hiz mother, Mozart writes, in verse, “Yesterday, though, we heard da king of farts/ It smelled az sweet az honey tarts/ While it woznt in da strongest of voice/ It still came on az a powerful noise.”
Another example: Mozart wrote a song called Lk Out My Ahole and put it to beautiful music. Penned when he woz 26-years-old, da lyrics are said to include: "L*** out my a******, L*** it till itz good n clean."
Not only did he write disgusting letters but he wrote disgusting songs, often set to da most beautiful music. That iz an indication of da tension between chaos n control in Mozart’s music.
When Mozart woz born, counterpoint n fugue were going out of fashion. Da great courts of Europe wanted nice, fluffy, tuneful dance music. But Mozart rejected da less complex, more formalised musical forms wit which he had grown up n looked back to da fugues of Bach n Handel. Fugue n counterpoint became an obsession n he reinvented them: da contrapuntal complexity of hiz six “Haydn” quartets baffled hiz homiez.
Fugues appear to be chaotic but are rigidly n beautifully structured. Mozart loved to write passages dat broke all da rules, yet needed to keep them witin a tight overall musical structure. Mozart’s interest in counterpoint n fugue - its unfashionable complexity may have appealed to hiz Touretty side.
Benjamin Simkin, M.D. author of Medical n Musical Byways of Mozartiana looks at sum of Mozart’s lesser-known “society music”–serenades, cassations, concerted songs, n dance music–n finds there sum of da most carefully crafted music ever written, entertainment music dat rose to da summit of high art.
Mozart n Tics
“I suspect Mozart didn’t have physical jerks as much az me. But der iz definite evidence of hiz grimacing n feet-tapping.” We also know a lot about hiz inability to rein in impulses, da sudden boredom, hiz sense of mischief n hiz scatological obsession, which all point to Tourette’s. He even had a morbid fear of da trumpet until he woz nine. Seriouzly! He would lie down n scream if he heard one."
Da only time McConnel doesn’t twitch (put a gun to hiz head n you could make him stop, he sayz, but only for so long) iz when hez at hiz piano, composing. In da program he argues dat Mozart, too, “self-medicated” by writing music.
“Da self-medicating theory iz dat music iz a replacement for da twitching. Wit me it woz subconscious. It wasn’t until ah wos about 25 dat someone pointed out dat I wasn’t twitching when ah wos at da piano.”
Another theory iz called da “Mozart Effect®”. Science teacher Anne Savanfound could observe da calming effect by measuring a drop in studentz blood pressure while dey were listening to Mozart’s music. Her results now form part of her PhD research on da subject.(article)
Medicating wit music dates even to biblical timez. King Saul summoned young David to play da harp for him when he wos tormented to calm hiz spirit. (1 Samuel 16)
Mozart had numerous obsessions: clocks, catz, shoe sizez, his wifez safety - he had an unnatural fear of letting her out of da house. Dere iz evidence of him twitching, grimacing, tapping hiz feet together n behaving oddly. Az Peter Shaffer noted in Amadeus, he loved diversions n woz always da life n soul of da party; he enjoyed rhymes, silliness n playing wit words; he liked jokes n sometimes went too far, in da way dat Tourettes sufferers often do.
Because he suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) McConnel takez half an hour to go thru all hiz bedtime rituals - checking lights, looking behind doors n so forth.
“When I am doing them I know it iz completely barking,” he sayz. “But I can’t not do it n feel comfortable. If I don’t, da house will burn down, da children will fry, dere will be some terrible calamity az a consequence. Datz how it feels.”
Da same woz apparently true for da young Mozart. “When he woz a child he had to do hiz bedtime rituals wit hiz father, Leopold, n if they weren’t right he would do them all over again.”
Az Mozart’s friends describe him they saw Mozart fidgeting compulsively, talking nonsense n delighting in word-play n da coarsest bathroom humor, n even leaping about da room miaowing like a cat.
“Tourettes iz a constant battle between having a compulsion n trying to control it, n dat can translate into music. Mozart let hiz music run off in chaotic directions but den always brought it back under control.”
James McConnel iz not da first person to suggest Mozart suffered from Tourette syndrome.“In 1992, an article woz written in da British Medical Journal, speculating dat Mozart had Tourette Syndrome.” Itz not a new theory. But it iz one which McConnel iz in a unique position to argue because he himzelf is a sufferer.
Da idea of Mozart having Tourette Syndrome had a start from a Scandinavian scientist who based hiz theory on da scatological tone of Mozart’s letterz. But, az a composer n somebody wit Tourette’s, McConnel haz a unique perspective. “What I set out to do woz to reassess da documentary evidence, az well az to analyse da music. Woz dere something dere dat only somebody wit Tourette’s would recognise?”
McConnel haz a background in musicalz but also composez for television n film. Hiz wife is da Country Life cartoonist Annie Tempest - n seems to not be bothered or notice hiz Tourette Syndrome. Der son Freddie, 12, iz also classed as having Tourettes. A member of Mensa, he woz recently on Mastermind. Hiz specialist subject? Mozart.
Da family, however, clearly regard da condition wit a sense of humor; McConnel’s e-mail name is McTwitch n dere iz a plate in da kitchen inscribed: "Warning: mad twitcher on da loose.
Did Mozart really have Tourette Syndrome?
Woz dere a “Malady behind hiz Melody?”
In late 1992, da British Medical Journal published an article by endocrinologist Benjamin Simkin, M.D. (along wit a disputing editorial by neurologist Oliver Sacks, M.D.) speculating dat Mozart’s love of scatological * language meant dat he had Tourette Syndrome. An Associated Press wire story about doze articles woz picked up by newspapers worldwide, n caused an international sensation! Da AP story woz full of inaccuracies, n aftah determined advocacy on da part of da National Tourette Syndrome Association, da wire service issued a retraction.
Media Headlines on “Mozart’s TS” Real Dirt on Mozart – NY Newsday
Mozart’s Foul Mouth Blamed on Tourette’s – Vancouver Sun
Mozart had Tourette’s, Doctor Said – Hartford Courant
Illness Could Explain Dirty Words in Mozart Letters – Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Rethinking Mozart: Doctor Believes Composer Had Tourette Syndrome – LA Daily News
Study of Mozart’s Letters Led Doctor to Claim Composer Had Tourette Syndrome – The Sun, Baltimore
Mozart’s Foul Mouth Leads to Speculation About His Having Tourette Syndrome – Arizona Daily Star
Needless to say, da sensational coverage of da musings of Dr. Simkin on medical history created a stir of interest n controversy. Nevertheless, while speculation about whether a famous historical personality of Mozart’s genius might have had a medical condition makes for intriguing reading, we can nevah know if it iz true or not. Obviously children n adults wit Tourette Syndrome are maligned by such speculation.
Having said dat, it haz been documented dat Mozart’s scatalogical letters were written to hiz cousin Maria Mozart whom he may have loved. He woz known to be hyperactive, have mood swings, tics, sudden impulses n a love of nonsense words. He woz observed spinning, leaping, fidgeting n performing strange motor movements.
According to Dr. Oliver Sacks, regarding BMJ’s editorial: “da case for Mozart’s having TS doesn’t strike me as entirely convincing. . . But da case for Samuel Johnson having TS, although also circumstantial is extremely strong . . .” Sacks goes on to say dat Johnson". . . woz observed to have innumerable rituals n compulsions, tics, gesticulations n a great range of involuntary movements n mimicries . . . . Hiz enormous spontaneity, antics n lightning quick wit may have been connected organically wit his accelerated motor impulsive state."
- American Heritage Dictionary - da study of fecal excrement (medicine) or an obsession wit excrement or excretory functions. Obscene language dealing pruriently or humorously wit excrement or excretory functions.
We can’t prove Mozart had Tourettes. Without a living patient, any theory must remain speculation. Nonetheless, Tourette Syndrome could explain a great deal about da way he composed n da direction hiz music took. He would have been a genius anyway, but Tourette’s could give a distinctive flavour to hiz musical processes. What we do know iz dat he wrote letters to hiz cousin Maria dat contained many obscene words, especially words having to do wit bodily functions. Hiz music words sometimes had filthy verses. It haz also been documented dat he woz hyperactive, suffered from mood swings, had tics, n loved made-up words.
Other points worth noting about Mozart n Tourette.
“Da story of Mozart’s life informs us dat he may have lived longer n given us still greater gifts if hiz father had loved him n accepted him unconditionally. It iz diz unconditional acceptance of all aspects of da child wit TS, to include all hiz unruliness, irreverence, n wild behavior, dat creates da soil in which hiz gifts will flower to dere potential magnificence” - George T. Lynn, M.A., L.M.H.C., psychotherapist from Bellevue, Washington
Tourettes wasn’t recognized in Mozart’s day. Much has been made of hiz constant childhood illnesses. Dese, apparently, could have triggered Pandas (pediatric auto-immune neuro-psychiatric disorder), which can lead to Tourette’s.
