Musical Pranksters: Haydn and Mozart

Haydn and Mozart both mastered musical wit, but their approaches fundamentally differed. Haydn was the "prankster," using bold structural surprises, false endings, and sudden silences to be actively funny. Mozart relied on dramatic irony, conversational elegance, and the seamless blending of conflicting emotions within his melodies. A survey of some of their more famous works containing their wit and humor will be discussed and sampled in classic witty fashion!