Product Details

• Actors: Jack Perkins, Peter Graves, Harry Smith, Dave Hoffman, Bill Mumy
• Writers: Agnes Nixon
• Format: Black & White, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: A&E Home Video
• VHS Release Date: December 23, 1996
• Run Time: 50 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6303937330
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #238,142 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

1984's Amadeus didn't tell the whole story. For a more complete look at the great composer's all-too-brief life, check out A&E's Biography: Mozart. Putting together interviews with modern scholars and musicians such as Zubin Mehta and Isaac Stern, readings of Mozart's letters, and portraits of the little genius and his contemporaries, this documentary is deeply entertaining and provides a level of insight rarely attained by an hour-long television program. The music, of course, is lovely; Mozart was no arcane theorist and his music is lively and enjoyable, even to classical-music haters. But his wild life, not his vibrant music, is the subject here, and his loves, obsessions, and turbulent family life steal the show. Whether your interest lies in great music or great minds, you'll find much to appreciate in Biography: Mozart. --Rob Lightner

From the Back Cover

He was vulgar, extravagant and bawdy. But inside this childish man lived history's greatest musical genius.

As a toddler, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's musical gifts made him the darling of Europe's highest courts. But as a man, his rebellion against a domineering father led him to a life of gambling, debt and excess. Why was a composer of such unremitting genius left to die in poverty? Famed Mozart scholars help paint a portrait of the outcast master whose work would revolutionize nearly every area of music. And performances of his work by some of the world's most famous musicians--including conductor Zubin Mehta, violinist Isaac Stern and flutist James Galway--demonstrate why Mozart's sudden death at age 35 is considered by many to be the greatest tragedy in the history of music.

Join Biography® for a look at the man whose spirit and vision overcame sadness and loss--and whose music will last forever.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE HEART IS WHERE HIS MUSIC LAY, October 27, 2000

By 

skeptic "interestedreader" (philadelphia, pa United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Biography - Mozart [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Born into a family surrounded by music, Mozart was like many of today prodiges, with one exception... he excelled at what he did inspite of his father's ruthless treatment and pursued music because he truly felt it with his soul. Beautiful footage, historically accurate and filled with the wonderful splendor of Mozart's music, this video brings you in touch with the very soul that Mozart put into his music. Starting with his very first piano sonata at the age of six, which made his father realize his child's genius, to the funeral piece he was working on at the time of his death, we see a man with a burning soul to express his feelings and thoughts through his music. A genius tortured by emotional unrest, yet married to a very beautiful and loving wife, Mozart shows us that the dynamics of genius are truly unique to the genius himself and can only be expressed in the most unique of fashions, in his case his music. This production is appropriate in it's coverage, length of time and is filled with the thoughts of todays most celebrated pianists, violinists and conductors, all of whom share the same passion for Mozart's music as for no other master musician since his days.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Biography - Wolfgang Mozart, January 9, 2007

By 

Teresa L. Gray (London, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Biography - Mozart (A&E DVD Archives) (DVD)

I teach music 4-6 and made a study sheet to go along with this DVD. Wow! I could not believe how my students responded. There was much discussion after each session of the DVD. My students are now using the study sheet to write their own report on this composer. This was wonderful!

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for home entertainment or education, October 11, 2011

By 

John Scott "John Scott" (Newark, NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Biography - Mozart (A&E DVD Archives) (DVD)

This is an informative, interesting and enlightening documetary, biographical story of Mozart. It details his life, passion for music, from three years old onward, the internal family struggles he experienced with his controlling father, Leopold, and the financial incentives that pushed his father to push Wolfgang A. Mozart. The financial challenges that (Wolfgang) Mozart had, and his freelance music career are expolored, as well as his loves, sicknesses and the mysterious paid request for a requeim that Mozart was convinced was his own, as he became sick and died at the age of 36.

There are many facts, details, opinions and interpretations in this documentary. It is a great evening's entertainment, and can be used for children and teens grades 5 and up. It is made for adults, but teachers can use it in class as well. I would recommend it for home use/purchase, and for the classroom.

If you saw the 1980s movie Amadeus, this provides clarifying details and cuts through any Hollywood embellishments. At the same time, it will help you tie together the fact and fiction that are in the Amadeus film.