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We think we know the story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's life. Austrian-born to a tyrannical father who worked him fiercely; unhappily married to a spendthrift woman; a child-like character ill at ease amid the aristocratic splendor of the Viennese court; a musical genius who died young thus depriving the world of future glories. Yet only that last point is actually true. In this comprehensive biography, John Suchet examines the many myths and misunderstandings surrounding the world's best-loved composer. From his early days as a child prodigy performing for the imperial royal family in Vienna to the last months of his short life, driven to exhaustion by a punitive workload, one thing remained constant: his happy disposition. Through trials and tribulations, grand successes and disheartening setbacks, Suchet shows us the real Mozart -- blessed with an abundance of talent yet sometimes struggling to earn a living. His mischievous nature and earthy sense of humor, his ease and confidence in his own incredible abilities; these were traits that never left him. His music has brought comfort to countless generations; his life, though brief, is no less fascinating.… (more)
User reviews
By sally tarbox on 5 October 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
An extemely readable account of the composer's life, drawing on witness statements and letters and with colour photos throughout.
We read of his early musical aptitude and his father's efforts to exploit his two
Both father and son seemed to have personalities that antagonised those around them. And mother and son seemed to share an unpleasing scatological sense of humour...
But Mozart had a huge work ethic and was composing on his death bed, although the celebrity and adulation we might expect weren't adequately fothcoming in his lifetime.
A beautifully illustrated and well-written biography.