Mozart vs Irving Berlin
We asked OMS to compare Mozart’s Piano Sonata in Bb Major K570 (Movement 1 only; performance by Alfred Brendel) against Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” (performance by Bing Crosby). Irving Berlin “wins” by a score of 201 to 171.
Mozart’s work is a set of weak stimuli, the only exceptions being the stimuli that were “second nature” to Mozart: Transparency; proportion; integration; personal individuality; compositional technique; and the Apollonian effect of these stimuli. In other respects, the stimuli are surprisingly constrained, for instance: The sonic range, melodic effect, philosophical stimulation, beauty of sound, etc. etc. In the entire movement, not a single example of a “delicious moment” was found. In total, this work could be described as “severe” in style, and bland in its effect. (Did Mozart have some unusual purpose or objective when he wrote this work?)
“White Christmas” of course does not match K570 in pure compositional technique. But it is excellent in some of the same categories as K570, i.e.: Transparency; proportion; personal individuality. In addition, it is highly stimulating in ways that are not achieved in K570: Luscious melody; “emotion”; history, memory and nostalgia; lovely sonic effects; beauty of sound; “delicious moments”; a heartfelt lyric; communication. And the total effect - rich but constrained and poised - is Apollonian in its own way. Additionally (this is personal opinion, not part of OMS output) we experience a charm in the modesty and slight awkwardness in the compositional work.