by Mark Alexander (June 2026) The Orchestra (Raoul Dufy, 1942) In art there is Leonardo da Vinci, in literature there is Shakespeare, in music there is Mozart. —Itzhak Perlman Why is Mozart great? Louis Armstrong was once asked, “What is jazz?” He answered, “Man, if you have to ask what it is, you’ll never know.” Perhaps he would have said something similar about Mozart. But I think we can attempt a partial answer.