Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

[WAMozart]

I've made this analysis before, but my estimate is ENTP based on the structure and content of his work. He uses Ne to gather a diverse array of raw materials and Ti to synthesize these logically. There are some indications from his personal life to support it, but his music is not a direct expression of his emotional states in the way Schubert's was.

Our modern ears do not hear his music in the context of his time. What Mozart did that was revolutionary was to switch between styles almost measure by measure. He followed the Baroque period in which aesthetics were ruled by the "affections". There were generalized moods and each piece was written to uniformly express one affection through the choice of mode, motives, and overall styles. If you listen to the opening of the Jupiter symphony, you can hear Mozart switching from overture style, to singing style, to sturm und drang. This was shocking and disorienting to his listeners. My position is that this is an example of using Ne to gather a diverse array of musical impressions and then weave these together using the pristine logic of Ti. He also conceived of the work internally. He worked it out in his head before putting it down on paper. His music, possibly more than anyone's, can be analyzed and reduced to perfect fractal patterns using Schenkerian analysis. It is in many ways an abstraction of pure logic.

Those are the cliff notes on Mozart. The facts about Mozart's music are not my own devising. My references are from various texts, and I can look these up as needed. The application to MBTI is my own surmising.

Music doesn't necessarily determine behavioral functions all the time, actually. He did procrastinate heaps (Don Giovanni overture, for example), which is something an ISFP would do often. As said in his quote: "I may be a vulgar man, but I can assure you, my music is not."

So that may disapprove of your theory about him being ENTP. His music may bear ENTP traits, but it doesn't mean he's ENTP himself. Often times, he would pretty much alienate himself from the activities of his apartment to compose some new pieces, because in another quote, he did explain that his ideas flow best when he's alone at nighttime in his room.

Another thing: Ironically enough, he was a highly-intuitive ISFP, his Ni being a strong tertiary function. ISFP in general is one of the most intuitive types, but I can understand the confusion between ENFP and ISFP, for they are both the most introverted extroverts and the most extroverted introverts. His natural talent in the arts utilizes Ni in such a way that it would end up being used unhealthily, for Mozart had the tendency to overwork.

 

[citizen cane]

What does arrogance have to do with type? He was definitely a perceiver. I believe Keirsey types him as ISFP, though accounts of his antics seem to be classic ExFP behavior.

 

[Starry]

ESFP