Mozart and Salieri: a study in artistic rivalry

Can you imagine what it must have been like to be a composer when your competion was Mozart? Of all the times to have been born with any kind of musical ability, God sends you down to Earth at the same time as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I mean, I thought I had problems with Leslie Grantham, but Salieri had Mozart. I mean, where do you begin?

But then, that's the problem with trying to be competitive in the arts, isn't it?

I mean, how can you possibly be concerned with reality if you're looking at the "competition"? There is no competition! Not when dealing with the reality of truth. The truth isn't concerned with nicety nor fairness, and the truth has an infinite number of levels.

Just as I "gave my power away" to Leslie Grantham by hating and envying him, Salieri gave his power away to Mozart, by taking his eye off the ball of truth, and instead looking at what the other guy was doing.

And this leads to absolutely fascinating epiphanies I've had recently about the very nature of the creative act.

But I have to go down to the gym now.

I'll talk about this later.