I tell you before God, and as an honest man, your son (W A Mozart)is the greatest composer known to me by person and repute, he has taste and what is more the greatest skill in composition.

Joseph Haydn
About This Quote

First, we can all agree that Mozart was a musical genius. But, what does his father really mean when he says that Mozart is the greatest composer of all time? It is important to understand that this letter was written to someone who was not a musician. So, it is hard to determine exactly what the older Mozart had in mind when he said such a thing. However, we can make an educated guess by looking at some of the other things he writes in this letter about the young Mozart. He writes: "It so happens that I have been doing some music myself and am actually composing a sonata." He clearly refers to his son as "my son" and "I," so we know for sure that he is talking about him.

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More Quotes By Joseph Haydn
  1. I tell you before God, and as an honest man, your son is the greatest composer known to me by person and repute, he has taste and what is more the greatest skill in composition." (Said to Leopold Mozart)
  2. I tell you before God, and as an honest man, your son (W A Mozart)is the greatest composer known to me by person and repute, he has taste and what is more the greatest skill in composition.
  3. I listened more than I studied... therefore little by little my knowledge and ability were developed.
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