A sentence I really cannot explain

Question

'It is in the mythic power of Mozart's story that much that is so important about him survives'what is that saying, especially 'that much that'?

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

The story of Mozart's life is spiritually powerful. It is within that powerful story that the most important things/facts/ideas about him survive.

Davkett · Answer

I don't know who the author is for this statement, but I certainly don't agree with what is said here. So I will start by saying, to the contrary, that much of what is important about Mozart is not the story of his life, mythic though it may be, but the genius of his music.

It's a little like saying that most of what is important about Van Gogh is that he cut off his ear, sold only one painting during his life (to his brother), and shot himself to death.

What is most important in both of these cases is the product of their genius, not the mythic power of their life stories.

Much that survives of importance is in the music, and in the art, not in the details of their lives.

Does this help?

CalifJim · Answer

"much that is so important about him" has to be seen as a unit meaning "many important things about Mozart".

So the sentence as a whole is saying:

The place where many important things about Mozart survive is here: in the mythic power of his story.

The tricky part is that the thought is expressed in a cleft sentence. "It is ... that ..."

It is here that >>> you | find that.
It is in the kitchen that >>> you | find the oven.
It is in the kitchen that >>> many important things (concerning cooking) | are found.
It is in the kitchen that>>> much [that is important (about cooking)] | is found.

(Note where the "that much that" ends up in the structure of the sentence. It's the same idea with the Mozart sentence.)

CJ

Davkett · Answer

CalifJim
The place where many important things about Mozart survive is here: in the mythic power of his story.

I realize that I did not give a grammatical response above, and I had a feeling that maybe I was over-reaching the question a bit in my gripe about the content--which may not have been the content at all. It is true that Mozart's music is not where the important things about his life survive, because his music is not about his life. The things about his life are found in the works of his biographers. And these things about his life survive because biographers are moved by the mythic power of his music.

...or something.

Wwwdotcom · Answer

How about, "Mozart's personal life contributes greatly to what we know about the man, not just his musical talent."

A sentence I really cannot explain

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