Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Erik Satie

The intent of this thesis is to engender a deep insight of two notable characters of their time, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Erik Satie. These two figures were great composers who lived in the years 1756 -1791 and 1866-1925 respectively. The paper thus delves into the life and career of these two characters to bring out the similarities and differences. While there are some superficial differences on how the two characters handled the stresses that came up with life, their similarities in various aspects such as the beginning of the composing career and their conscientiousness towards their career are also greatly pronounced all of which are discussed in the paper.
The similarities possessed by the two figures is at this moment described right from their start of their composing careers to the end. The first similarity between the two we note that both of them were exposed to the musical world at a very young age with each manifesting an astute strength in the field resulting in them making great strides in their composing careers. For instance, Wolfgang at the age of five years he had already composed and performed at the European royalty. He also possessed expertise in playing the violin and the keyboard. The same applied to Erik Satie who at the age of 6 years he had started receiving training from a local organist and consequently at the age of 12 years he was able to learn the piano with the help of her stepmother and by his efforts (Whiting 13).
However, in their lives, the two possess two distinct weaknesses in handling life matters.

It is noted that at the helm of Wolfgang’s career and when he was making a great income, Wolfgang indulged in extravagant activities such as buying an expensive apartment, an expensive billiard table and sending his surviving son to an expensive school. This was all done without him saving a penny hence he later becomes broke living a miserable and depressed life surviving on debts. However, he then recovers and lives a normal life after that leaving his past extravagant life behind. In short, he got reformed. On the other hand, Erik Satie at the helm of his career he indulged in binge drinking which analyst relate his drinking to the failure to win the heart of a particular lady he immensely adored (Davis 6). Satie could not reform from the habit thus resulted to his death after complications of the liver.
Another similarity is that they are both adventurous and industrious. It is noted that the two composers moved away from their fathers’ houses in search for better positions. Example Erik Satie in 1887 moved from his father’s residence to lodgings in Montmartre where he continued with the publication of compositions and further becoming a chapel Master of the Rosicrucian Order (Melograni 24). Wolfgang also exhibits this similarity. Devoid of his father urging him to return to Salzburg to take up his job of an assistant concert master he had resigned, Wolfgang fervently refused to have the intention to pursue an independent career in Vienna. This move has been noted as a revolutionary step since it played a vital niche in the development of Wolfgang composing career. From this similarity, the career of the two composers flourished after going away from their father’s residences and becoming free birds soaring for new opportunities in the music career that came by.
To conclude despite them having a noticeable difference in their way of life it is clear that the two figures had a lot of similarities in their career path especially in their efforts to succeed in the realm of composition. This lucidly expounds to us the success path always consists of a systemic approach as portrayed by the duo devoid of their diminutive difference.

Works cited
Davis, Mary E. Erik Satie. Reaktion Books, 2007.
Whiting, Steven Moore. Satie the Bohemian: from cabaret to concert hall. Clarendon Press, 1999.
Melograni, Piero. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: A Biography. University of Chicago Press, 2007.