Has anyone else noticed this about Mozart ....

Thanks for the responses, which are very interesting. I'm the first to proclaim my relative lack of knowledge. At first I was sure that I would find that the pieces I don't like (Clarinet concerto, horn concerto) would have been written earlier in his life, and the more solemn pieces later in his life, when, by all accounts, he was a tortured soul. It was very surprising when I discovered that the clarinet concerto was written towards the end of his life, at around the same time as the requiem mass (a piece I love). Hence the post .. it is very curious to me that he could seemingly flit back and forth between music with huge depth of feeling and music of equal musical integrity but with a lighter touch. I wonder if there is any indication of bipolar disorder here ... after all there is a fine line between genius and madness.

Dlshifi ... I'm not dismissing anything lightly, and perhaps my wording was provocative, but only for purposes of generating interesting discussion : we all like different music for different reasons, and I just don't like the clarinet concerto, and believe me, as a clarinetist I have heard it a gazillion times. I am also well aware that Mozart moved music from the Bach era ,when the music seemed more about displaying the technical brilliance of the performer, to the Beethoven and Mendelssohn era, which is the era of music that I am most drawn to. I'm so glad he did, because there's not much music from Bach or earlier that does anything for me, but Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms and the romantics are absolutely sublime (IMHO).

Thanks again for responses. It's really nice to have some discussion on music rather than equipment from time to time.

Bomarc ... yes it is entirely about my taste in music, but I don't think that's my point. My point is that Mozart, unlike other composers with who I am familiar, seems to me to have two very contrasting styles of music. All composers produce a spectrum of material, but Mozart's is a much wider spectrum than most.

Thanks everyone, again, for the great posts. With a hyperactive 20 month old at home I don't get too much time for reading or listening, but I'll bookmark this thread and try to get around to it later.