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One of the most widely known classical composers is one Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In 1787 Mozart composed one of his most famous operas, Don Giovanni. This opera is about the notorious Don Giovanni: seducer, womanizer, and even murderer. In the piece just sung, "Vedrai, carino," Zerlina is comforting her injured fiancé, with a heavy dose of charm and flirtation, after he was battered by Don Giovanni.
The popular opera Don Giovanni, especially the piece "Vedrai, carino," is beloved and considered an example of superior musicianship at work. In fact, Don Giovanni is considered a member of the canon for music. The canon in the music world is defined as a list of composers or pieces that are thought to be standards of musical excellence to which other music is compared. Yet, have we as listeners ever considered why certain pieces of music such as Mozart's Don Giovanni become part of the canon? An obvious, and arguably legitimate, response would be that Mozart demonstrates extensive knowledge of musical theory as well as a true integration of artistry and creativity. Moreover, many would say that his music simply sounds good. On the surface, this might be an acceptable justification. However, if one were to probe deeper into the nature of what musical artistry, good sound, and proper theory are so as to describe of what or whom the canon for music is comprised, the answer is far more ambiguous. The specific question of why Mozart is a member of the canon is highly philosophical. Therefore, I suggest referring to the ideas proposed by philosophers Arthur Danto, David Hume, and Immanuel Kant.
According to Arthur Danto art, museums, artists, schools, other art-related institutions provide the context for what he considers to be the "artworld." Thus, a piece of art is deemed as such if members of the artworld accept it to be art. This is known as the institutional theory of art. Thus, referring back to Mozart, Danto would say Mozart is a member of the artworld because art institutions, i.e., the artworld, labeled his work as art. An easily transition follows as Mozart's work like Don Giovanni is not just a mere member of the artworld, again as determined by art institutions, by further evaluated as an especially good piece of art; in other words, institutions are declaring which composers or works are worthy of canon membership. Danto's institutional theory of art would say that enough members of the artworld have recognized Don Giovanni as a superb work of music that it has since become part of the canon.
Danto's theory about the nature of the artworld alludes to a sort of consensus reached by all participants in said artworld about what is considered art. David Hume would give a similar explanation of Mozart's position in the canon, according to his ideas in "Of the Standard of Taste." In this article, Hume is far broader than Danto, discussing instead a consensus of beauty in art. The assignment of beauty is a rather significant process because in addition to utilizing Danto's institutional theory of art, one might say that Don Giovanni—and really all of Mozart's works—is part of the canon because it is beautiful music. There are a multitude of facets to the definition and assignment of beauty, but for now I will highlight Hume's, especially because Hume aligns well with Danto. According to David Hume, every individual has his or her particular taste or preference. In other words, individuals like or dislike certain entities. For example, I really abhor sparkly pink bows while others adore such absurd hair ornaments. Hume would say that a matter of taste as pertaining to preference is about the individual endorsing or not endorsing a particular thing; therefore, there is no real disagreement between me and those who strangely enjoy oddities such as sparkly pink bows. However, Hume states that there is an element of pleasantness as in direct association with the object that supersedes merely liking or disliking. Objects that are beautiful, he asserts, are those which cause pleasure and a subsequent recognition of beauty in all "normal" people under "normal" circumstances. What Hume is proposing is that since human beings are of the same species, bearing the same faculties for processing information—namely our brains—there are certain instances in which under normal conditions everyone would reach a consensus about an object of beauty. Beauty is recognized as a universally-reached consensus about particular objects. It is important to note that Hume would include a level of understanding that comes with education as necessary for reaching such a consensus. To be clear, it is not the consensus itself that makes the work beautiful, rather, the consensus comes about as a result of a beautiful work. Assuming everyone were to reach this notion Hume proposes, one might also argue that Mozart's music, as well as most if not all members' music of the canon, are beautiful as anyone who hears it would think.
A final possibility to explain why composers and songs are considered standards of great musicianship, i.e., members of the canon, is Immanuel Kant's notion of genius. Ignoring Kant's specifics for a moment, Mozart is easily recognized as a musical genius. In fact, he first began composing at the age of 5, thus earning the title of child prodigy. Terms of child prodigy and genius are widely understood as those who display precocious and high degrees of talent and ingenuity. Kant is slightly more specific. Firstly, Kant believed that art needs some rules as seen in the development of skill, but that prior rules do not determine art itself. True art is spurred on by expression through what he calls a spirit that learns but then bends or breaks the rules of art. This spirit is innate. Kant states that such a spirit, if encouraged and developed, is what becomes genius. Mozart fits Kant's definition of genius. Hence, one may conclude that Mozart, and subsequently his works like Don Giovanni, are members of the canon because the canon might be defined as a compilation of art that exemplifies Kant's notion of genius.
Thus, to answer the question of why Mozart, in particular his opera Don Giovanni, is part of the canon, one might claim that the artworld has determined it to be a great work worthy of the canon according to Danto's institutional theory of art; one might also propose that it is part of the canon because all who experience the opera under Hume's idea of normal conditions, would reach a consensus that the piece is beautiful and a standard of musical excellence; finally, one could utilize Kant's definition of genius as applied to Mozart and state that all members of the canon exhibit Kant's "genius."