Genre: Nonfiction—Biography
Completed: 4 August 2017
Summary & Review:
From his first chords on the clavier to his grandest symphonies and operas, Mozart’s life was full of music, composition, dancing, humor, and joy. Far from the clownish debtor he is occasionally made out to be, Mozart was a devoted Catholic in full control of his finances who always found the silver lining in a situation. Historian Paul Johnson presents this short summary of the life of one of the most important and prolific composers in history.
Before reading this, I think most of what I “knew” about Mozart came from the 1984 film Amadeus. While that is an entertaining movie, it seems to have exaggerated many things about Mozart’s life and character so it was nice to read a more sober account of the great composer. I liked the compact nature of this biography, but a little more narrative, rather than just factual statements lined up as "sentences" (e.g. a long list of pieces composed during a certain year), would have made the read a bit more enjoyable.
Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, I was able to easily pull up on YouTube world class recordings and performances of any of the pieces Johnson referenced in the book.
Rating: 6.5
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