Overview

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is one of the great icons of Western music. An amazing prodigy who toured the capitals of Europe as a child, astonishing royalty and professional musicians with his precocious skills, in his adulthood he wrote some of the finest music in the European tradition. Julian Rushton offers a concise and up-to-date biography of this musical genius, combining a well-researched life of the composer with an introduction to the works--symphonic, chamber, sacred, and theatrical--of one of the few who have composed undisputed masterpieces in every genre of his time. Rushton presents a vivid portrait, ranging from Mozart the Wunderkind--travelling with his family from Salzburg to Vienna, Paris, London, Rome, and Milan--to the mature composer of perennially fascinating operas such as ""The Marriage of Figaro,"" ""Don Giovanni,"" and ""The Magic Flute."" During the past half-century, scholars have thoroughly explored Mozart's life and music, offering new interpretations based on their historical context, and providing a factual basis for confirming or more often debunking, fanciful accounts of the man and his work. Rushton takes full advantage of these biographical and musical studies as well as the definitive New Mozart Edition to provide an accurate account of Mozart's life and, equally important, an insightful look at the music itself, complete with illustrative musical examples. An engaging biography for general readers that will also be an informative resource for scholars, this new addition to the prestigious Master Musicians series puts forward an authoritative interpretation of one of the defining figures of European culture.

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9780195388251

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Reviews

'An achievement of real distinction.... Rushton unfailingly captures the right tone, rendering his book accessible to the general Mozart lover and at the same time satisfying to the Mozart scholar.... This is a book to relish.'--John Irving, Eighteenth-Century Music<br> 'An exceptional book. Rushton's Mozart is a practical guide for both the general reader and scholar. The biography is fluent, easy to understand, and supplies many updated resources. He offers a concise and up-to-date biography while meeting his objective of supplying an introduction and guide to the works.This is a well researched book that will serve as a practical guide for both the general reader and scholar.'--Jonathan Ng, Choral Journal<br> 'Crisp, learned.'--Alex Ross, The New Yorker<br> 'A crisp account of the composer's career, with many musical examples.... Rushton is direct, impersonal and authoritative, as befits a brief but learned introductory life. Not that he doesn't offer anecdotal material to keep the more casual reader entertained.'--Michael Dirda, Washington Pos<br> 'Always sensitive, judicious, and stimulating. It is too short--not too short for Mozart but for Rushton, who has certainly much more to say that would be of interest.'--Charles Rosen, The New York Review of Books<br> 'A valuable addition to the ever-growing literature on Mozart.'--Library Journal<br> 'Rushton has pulled off something as brilliant as it is implausible: a perfectly judicious account of the life of the composer.' --Bookpage<br> 'The finest short biography of Mozart that I know--incisive, insightful, and elegantly written. If I had to recommend one book that explained the man and his music, this would be it.'--CliffEisen, Department of Music, King's College London<br> 'A splendid introduction to Mozart's life and works--carefully organized, sensibly argued, and lucidly written. Rushton brings his vast knowledge of Mozart into the biographical arena and succeeds admirably in writing for both the layman and the connoisseur of Mozart's music.' --Simon P. Keefe, Professor of Music at City University London, and editor of The Cambridge Companion to Mozart and The Cambridge Mozart Encyclopedia<br> 'Rushton's account is succinct yet thorough, covering key areas such as the composer's relationship with freemasonry and his attitudes toward his contemporaries.'--Andrew Farach-Colton<br>

Author Information

Julian Rushton is the Emeritus West Riding Professor of Music at the University of Leeds. He serves on the editorial boards of Journal of the Royal Music Association, Music Analysis, and Eighteenth-Century Music. He is the general editor of the Cambridge Music Handbook series and is the former president of the Royal Musical Association. He has published widely, especially on Mozart and Berlioz.

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