Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756 -1791
Mozart, whom his sister recounted as picking out thirds on the family clavier at the age of three for the pleasure of it, has been described as achieving miracles of sound across every emotion. Indeed one runs out of superlatives trying to do justice to the quality and originality of his compositions and the abundance of output. Anyone learning about his relatively short life must also pay tribute to his resolve and courage.
I've noticed during my time in bands that the music I like sparks creativity, and the lovely theme from the Kyrie of the Mass in C minor spawned a lot of ideas once I'd decided to write something for guitar using it. Mozart's harmonies seem both exclusive and perfect, and I can't imagine my musical life without them. I got to know the Mass when I looked after Nigel's place while he was away, as it was in his record collection. My good friend died not long after that, and the Fantasy is a homage to him.
