Overview

A concise and beautifully evocative appreciation of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s career and genius by the famed writer and poet Sacheverell Sitwell. From Mozart’s first precocious attempts at composing at the age of four or five, through to his tragic death at the age of just 35, Sitwell traces this most famous of composers’ life with depth and humanity. Exploring Mozart's genius in minute and effusive detail, he expounds on everything from The Marriage of Figaro to the Requiem in beautiful prose. Sitwell’s friendships with the great composers and musicians of the early twentieth century - and his innate understanding of the physical and social settings that Mozart composed for - make this a truly unique biography that is yet to be superseded.

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9781509863747

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Reviews

Tasty titbits such as his fondness for leaving deadlines to the last minute (heartening), illuminating descriptions of outfits and work environments and soap-like details of various relationships paint a colourful picture of that genius. * Claire Jackson, BBC Music Magazine * For this writer it is these personal insights that bring the book to life * Claire Jackson, BBC Music Magazine *

Author Information

Sir Sacheverell Sitwell (1897-1988) was a member of the famously talented Sitwell family – the younger brother of Dame Edith Sitwell and Sir Osbert Sitwell. He was educated at Eton College and Oxford and served in the Grenadier Guards during the First World War. He and his siblings were a formidable force in artistic circles and Sacheverell became known for both his art and music criticism, as well as his writings on architecture. Cited in the BBC’s 1986 Domesday project as “a leading authority on Mozart & Liszt”, Sitwell’s excellent books on the lives of composers are still consulted today.

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