BOOK

The figure of Mozart has over the years been the subject of numerous studies, many people writing about him trying to reconstruct his exploits in detail. What then is different about this biography? The authors have not only limited themselves to an analysis of his life based on the endless correspondence we have today, but have wanted to examine the historical context of the time by drawing on some information from letters and diaries of uncrowned Counts, Emperors and Queens, who conditioned the historical flow of their time. To sketch a more accurate portrait of Wolfgang, they reviewed some studies from the world’s leading universities (Cambridge University, University of California, etc.) discovering new “secondary” characters present in the composer’s life, but no less important. The introduction of some “backstage” performances of concerts he gave (found in the diary of Count Ludwig von Bentheim-Steinfurt), casts of world premieres and brief harmonic analyses of the most important Symphonies make this book invaluable in further delineating the figure of the greatest musical genius of all time.