When Professor Greenberg refers to Mozart as a composer to be among the least autobiographical, he is referring to Mozart's lack of translating his compositions to the nature of his own life. Specifically, we can refer to Mozart's last three symphonies.
Amidst a difficult, dark and tumultuous time of his life with serious financial and health issues, Mozart composed three of his most triumphant symphonies shortly before his death; Symphony No. 39 in E-Flat Major, Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, and Symphony No. 41, Jupiter. Disproportion to the events in Mozart's life, the composer's final three symphonies are upbeat in comparison to desperate and gloomed days of Mozart's personal life. In fact, Symphony No. 39, the first of Mozart's final "trilogy" has a slow introduction but surely builds and showcases and energetic allegro in sonata form. Mozart's music if often described as detached from his issues or worries, thereby, explaining Professor Greenberg's reference to Mozart as among the least autobiographical composers.
Considered to be an autobiographical composer, Hector Berlioz showcases musical responses to critical moments in his life through various compositions. Among them, Symphonie Fantastique, a symphony that aimed to express a lovesick artist (considered Berlioz) who overdoses on opium and then becomes haunted by the unattainable woman he loves. Through metaphor, Berlioz transcended his personal life and experiences through this magnificent symphony. The
