Easy for Kids, Hard for Adults

“Children are given Mozart because of the small quantity of notes.  Grown-ups avoid Mozart because of the great quality of notes.” — Artur Schnabel 

If you’ve ever played or even glanced at a Mozart score, you’ll notice his music often has very thin textures—usually just a melody and simple accompaniment. 

Fewer notes generally make a piece easier to play. Composers like Brahms or Rachmaninoff, who favor dense chordal textures and complex accompaniments, require more technical skill and strength. 

Mozart seems easier—until he’s not. Each note is chosen with the greatest care, so every one carries weight. 

In other words, there’s no room for error. You can’t make mistakes because there’s no filler. There’s nowhere to hide. One wrong move, and it stands out glaringly. You’re exposed. 

And it’s not just about hitting the wrong notes. Misinterpreting a phrase, accenting something that doesn’t need it—there’s no room for that either.   

It’s like the simplest dish for a master chef: a plain omelet, with no truffle salt or avocado smash to distract from the pure ingredients.   

So, you take extreme care.  But then you face another challenge.   

Musicologist Robert Levin believes many people think Mozart must be played 'perfectly and prettily'.   

“But music that’s beautiful all the time isn’t really that beautiful, and if one isn’t careful, it can become quite empty and boring.”   

So, you must make every note matter. Play it beautifully, but not always beautiful. And zero mistakes.

Schnabel was right. Easy for kids, hard for adults.

Talk to you soon,

Michelle