fjozn

Friday, January 27, 2006

Happy Birthday!

Happy 250th birthday to...

*takes a deep breath*

Johannes Chrisostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart Sigismundus!

Thanks for your charming oboe concerto and no thanks for making it so difficult!

Trivia about Mozart's name

Names as used were in many ways a matter of style in those days. For example, prior to the French revolution, when it was stylish to seem Italian, Ludwig van Beethoven used to sign his first name as "Luigi." Subsequent to the French revolution, when it was hip to seem French, he used "Louis." In the Renaissance, when Italianate musical styles were popluar, Composers of all nationalities used Italian translations of their names, such as the Flemish composer Orlando di Lasso (Roland Delattre) and the English Orlando Gibbons (Roland Gibbons). Also, composers who worked for the church would often Latinize their names. One example is the German late-renaissance composer Michael Praetorius. "Praetorius" is Latin for guard or protector, which, translated into German, gives us his real name, Michael Schultz.

Mozart's name was similarly subject to change. His birth record reads Johannes Chrisostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart. The word theophilus is greek for "God's love," which in German (Mozart's native language), translates to Gottlieb, the name actually used in place of Theophilus throughout Mozart's childhood. In his maturity, he often used Latin translation of God's Love, Amadeus, but he often signed letters with the French Amadé.

By the way, actual first names were not commonly used in normal parlance at the time. Johann Sebastian Bach, for instance, went by Sebastian.

As was customary at confiration at the time, Mozart took the name of the person who presented him for confirmation. This was his father's partoon, Prince Archbishop Sigismund of Salzburg.

From www.answerbag.com

fjozn at 9:23 PM

f j o z n
my thoughts
Friday, January 27, 2006 Happy Birthday! Happy 250th birthday to... takes a deep breath Johannes Chrisostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart Sigismundus! Thanks for your charming oboe concerto and no thanks for making it so difficult! Trivia about Mozart's name Names as used were in many ways a matter of style in those days. For example, prior to the French revolution, when it was stylish to seem Italian, Ludwig van Beethoven used to sign his first name as "Luigi." Subsequent to the French revolution, when it was hip to seem French, he used "Louis." In the Renaissance, when Italianate musical styles were popluar, Composers of all nationalities used Italian translations of their names, such as the Flemish composer Orlando di Lasso (Roland Delattre) and the English Orlando Gibbons (Roland Gibbons). Also, composers who worked for the church would often Latinize their names. One example is the German late-renaissance composer Michael Praetorius. "Praetorius" is Latin for guard or protector, which, translated into German, gives us his real name, Michael Schultz. Mozart's name was similarly subject to change. His birth record reads Johannes Chrisostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart. The word theophilus is greek for "God's love," which in German (Mozart's native language), translates to Gottlieb, the name actually used in place of Theophilus throughout Mozart's childhood. In his maturity, he often used Latin translation of God's Love, Amadeus, but he often signed letters with the French Amadé. By the way, actual first names were not commonly used in normal parlance at the time. Johann Sebastian Bach, for instance, went by Sebastian. As was customary at confiration at the time, Mozart took the name of the person who presented him for confirmation. This was his father's partoon, Prince Archbishop Sigismund of Salzburg. From www.answerbag.com fjozn at 9:23 PM
design by maystar Modified by fjozn.