The Life of Mozart (Musical Lives) [Paperback]

John Rosselli (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521587441 | ISBN-13: 978-0521587440 | Publication Date: April 28, 1998

Mozart was not only an extraordinary musical genius but a man who lived through the great change from the old society to the modern one in which we still live. He was one of the "new men" of the age--his music gives voice to anxieties and consolations that are still ours. This biography sets Mozart's life within the history of an age plunging into revolution and European war. Avoiding guesswork, it probes his crucial relationships with his father, his wife and his employer. It studies--in depth though in nontechnical language--characteristic examples of his music and asks what they can tell us about their author and ourselves.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Roselli's welcome biography fills the need for an up-to-date, comprehensive but short critical study designed primarily for students and general readers. For readers interested in learning about Mozart, this book is unquestionably the best place to start. All collections." Choice

Book Description

Mozart was not only an extraordinary musical genius but a man who lived through the great change from the old society to the modern one in which we still live. He was himself one of the 'new men' of the age; his music gives voice to anxieties and consolations that are still ours. This biography sets Mozart's life within the history of an age plunging into revolution and European war. It probes his crucial relationships with his father, his wife and his employer, but avoids guesswork. It studies in depth though in non-technical language characteristic examples of his music and asks what they can tell us about their author and ourselves.

Product Details

• Paperback: 183 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (April 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521587441
• ISBN-13: 978-0521587440
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,089,878 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Tough read for a layman, January 22, 2002

By 

Amit Juneja (Hyattsville, MD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Life of Mozart (Musical Lives) (Paperback)

The book claims to avoid guess work about the life of Mozart and it stands up to it. But you need to have basic knowledge of two things to appreciate this book - classical music and European history of the eighteenth century. Language is hard to grasp, and it seems to have been written for an English major. If I satified all these requirements I would have loved this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brief and concise introduction to Mozart's life, August 8, 2002

By 

Lady Blakeney "bookworm221" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Life of Mozart (Musical Lives) (Paperback)

Being a longtime fan of Mozart's work, naturally I wanted to learn more about the man himself. Too often I have found biographies to be dull, dry, and formulaic. This book provides a fresh and fascinating look into the life of the person many consider to be the world's greatest composer. The author writes with an engaging style, providing facts and some commentary. It truly is a great find, one that I particularly recommend to those whose only knowledge of Mozart comes from "Amadeus".