Listening to his body of work, sometimes I come very close to concluding he's had as many riveting musical ideas as some of the great composers.

Prince is Mozart in a studio, that's what he is.

What says you?

He did fancy himself as that didn't he? He could certainly trounce the piano in any given live setting, but the only studio recording that gave this wind was Condition Of The Heart - it's like he knew he could bash out pre 20th Century French piano studies for a living but he had to operate in the commercial or soul music sphere.

The only nod to Mozart I can find within this is the "Emancipation motif" - the descending "dooo doo do d d doo" bit that appeared pretty much only in the mid nineties, the rest was all commissioned brass or string arrangers.

Absolutely. So many brilliant, brilliant moments that most musicians would kill for. So many songs that I've listened to and marvelled at his arrangements, melodies, or chord progressions. I could try and list them all but I don't know if I'd be able to. His catalog is overflowing with genius, almost effortlessly during certain periods.

I can't understand anyone who can have that much music in their head and when it comes out it's practically completed. His arraignments are on point, his understanding of composition and his pitch was perfect. His ability to teach himself to play so many instruments, its unbelievable. I have so much respect for his musicianship. I am not a musician, but I'd like to think I know good music and appreciate the artistry. He was the real deal, a once in a lifetime, a Mozart, a Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder..just born with it. I am so grateful I was alive when he was. Crushed that he’s gone, but truly grateful to have had him in my life for 20+ years.

[Edited 7/22/16 20:32pm]

Completely agree.

The minor touches on songs are the work of compositional genius. You can listen to songs thousands of times and still hear something new. And then the ability to continually create fresh melodies...

Mozart is one reference, but I know many composers quite well. They have a bunch of themes (musical motifs) that they expand on, infinite variations, expansions and colouring through chords and orchestration.

I argue that Prince came up with so many themes or motifs. He didn't expand them all like a classical composer because he was a songwriter -- of course some songs show a lot of development, but he often liked to keep things minimalistic.

Overall, his melodic creativity is incredible. He did repeat himself, but trust me, so did people like Handel (for instance, you can find some of the Water Music themes in some of his sonatas).

The big difference between classical composers and Prince is that he could record his musical ideas right away... and preserve his own performing for posterity. It's a very different method -- imagine Prince being limited to music sheets.

For these reasons, I think he will be remembered as a master of the recording age. No one else did so much on his own so often.

rob1965 said:

It's the use of multiple layers, wall of sound and knowing when to use minimal instrumentation that made him more than just a good composer. I believe he had very good musical hearing besides the fact that he was a multi-instrumentalist. And the fact that he 'composed' his first song at age 7 on his father's piano, makes the comparison to W.A. Mozart even easier. Mozart was a genius, that much is known. If Prince was really a genius, I'm not able to say. But if not a genius, than at least a musical wunderkind.

He was definitely a genius.

Brendan said:

To attempt an addendum, imagine Prince's music stripped down to the sheet music in your head played however you deem closest to your own persona. Now how much of it baffles your present?

I haven't practised the guitar in the best part of 10 years, right now it feels like giving a hand job to an acorn.