Mozart of course was the ultimate composer for the Enlightenment. A good way to break up any dinner party is to claim Bach’s superiority to Mozart, but there it is: Spend any serious amount of time listening to Bach, and most of Mozart’s work, however wantonly gorgeous, will seem to be…missing something.
—James R. Gaines, Evening in the Palace of Reason: Bach Meets Frederick the Great in the Age of Enlightenment
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I heard his Coronation Mass preformed last year, and though it was clearly beautiful, it seemed to be merely gratuitously grandiose, rather than actually attempting to make the Mass Parts regal. I think if I were to be crowned, I'd rather they use Vaughn William's Mass rather than Mozart's Coronation Mass.
Oh, I couldn't agree more! Bach is my absolute favorite classical composer, and you captured the reason why in your complete lack of attempts to describe that something which is missing in all others.
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