Customer Reviews

The Mozart Companion a Symposium by leading Mozart Scholar

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a compilation of 12 essays by some of the leading Mozart scholars of the 1950s and 60s. While some of the essays are mildly entertaining and helpful, the book struggles overall.

Ten of the twelve essays deal with specific genres of Mozart's music-symphonies, concertos, chamber music, serenades for wind band, church music, etc. Since each section has a different author, the approaches are all somewhat different. Most of the authors try to briefly mention all the works in each genre while focusing on their favorites.

The problem with the book isn't' that it's particularly boring--a rigorous biography of an 18th-century Viennese composer should not be especially gripping--but that it has very few revelations. The essayists refer often to the writings of noted Mozart historian Alfred Einstein (not to be confused with Albert, the physicist), and Einstein's book seems to be easier to read while just as informative. Additionally, much has been discovered about Mozart in the last forty years, so this book seems a bit dated.

Musicologists will probably want a copy of this around to refer to a few specific pages, but this is definitely NOT a book for people who want a good biography or a look at Mozart as a person. There are plenty of good Mozart biographies out there, and the Cambridge Companion guides also can be helpful with specific works or genres.