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Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mozart was a faithful correspondent, and this full and expert collection of more than 100 letters covers his brief and tumultuous life, from the years when the child prodigy astonished the courts of Europe to his final days, when he wrote loving notes to his wife and long, money-seeking letters to friends and patrons. The letters abound in both trivial and important observations about the people he met; comments on the reactions to his music; satirical remarks about dilettantes and incompetent professionals; and thoughts on other composers, pianoforte and organ playing, singing, and his own methods of composition.
Mozart’s letters are interspersed in this edition with a generous selection of letters from his father. This two-sided, voluminous correspondence shows the close and sometimes conflicting relationship between father and son. Mozart’s letters to his sister are especially playful, exhibiting an impish, lighthearted wit reminiscent of his music, and the letters to his wife are equally revealing. Taken all together, this collection presents an informal and intimately detailed portrait of a genius.
Mozart’s letters are interspersed in this edition with a generous selection of letters from his father. This two-sided, voluminous correspondence shows the close and sometimes conflicting relationship between father and son. Mozart’s letters to his sister are especially playful, exhibiting an impish, lighthearted wit reminiscent of his music, and the letters to his wife are equally revealing. Taken all together, this collection presents an informal and intimately detailed portrait of a genius.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1928
About the author
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
6,182 books166 followersWolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over six hundred works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music. He is among the most enduringly popular of classical composers.
Mozart showed prodigious ability from his earliest childhood in Salzburg. Already competent on keyboard and violin, he composed from the age of five and performed before European royalty; at seventeen he was engaged as a court musician in Salzburg, but grew restless and traveled in search of a better position, always composing abundantly. Visiting Vienna in 1781 he was dismissed from his Salzburg position and chose to stay in the capital, where over the rest of life he achieved fame but little financial security. The final years in Vienna yielded many of his best-known symphonies, concertos, and operas, and the Requiem. The circumstances of his early death have been much mythologized. He was survived by his wife Constanze and two sons.
Mozart always learned voraciously from others, and developed a brilliance and maturity of style that encompassed the light and graceful along with the dark and passionate—the whole informed by a vision of humanity "redeemed through art, forgiven, and reconciled with nature and the absolute". His influence on all subsequent Western art music is profound. Beethoven wrote his own early compositions in the shadow of Mozart, of whom Joseph Haydn wrote that "posterity will not see such a talent again in 100 years".
Mozart showed prodigious ability from his earliest childhood in Salzburg. Already competent on keyboard and violin, he composed from the age of five and performed before European royalty; at seventeen he was engaged as a court musician in Salzburg, but grew restless and traveled in search of a better position, always composing abundantly. Visiting Vienna in 1781 he was dismissed from his Salzburg position and chose to stay in the capital, where over the rest of life he achieved fame but little financial security. The final years in Vienna yielded many of his best-known symphonies, concertos, and operas, and the Requiem. The circumstances of his early death have been much mythologized. He was survived by his wife Constanze and two sons.
Mozart always learned voraciously from others, and developed a brilliance and maturity of style that encompassed the light and graceful along with the dark and passionate—the whole informed by a vision of humanity "redeemed through art, forgiven, and reconciled with nature and the absolute". His influence on all subsequent Western art music is profound. Beethoven wrote his own early compositions in the shadow of Mozart, of whom Joseph Haydn wrote that "posterity will not see such a talent again in 100 years".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
November 10, 2023
I enjoy reading collections of letters. In the past, I've read mostly those written by artists or writers (The Letters of Vincent van Gogh and Emily Dickinson: Letters being notable examples), so this collection of Mozart's letters is something of an exception. Mostly Mozart's letters were addressed to his mom or dad, and a few to his sister, wife, and friends.
I'm not a musician, nor particularly knowledgeable about music or a huge fan of Mozart. I hoped there would be more stuff of general interest there - I don't know, something about his approach to creative work or thoughts on music. But there was almost none of that.
Mostly the letters told of:
- earthly matters: such as financial problems, food, clothes;
- society gossip: what specific people/aristocrats said or did. None of these names were familiar to me. Maybe their acquaintance with Mozart is the most notable thing about those people to us.
- details about adjustments to Mozart's works in progress and their reception once premiered. E.g. this singer becomes out of breath when singing this part of the aria, so it needs to be shortened. It didn't really give me much.
On the plus side, I found out Mozart could be quite funny, and he was also pretty religious/pious. Seemed like the kind of person who truly found solace in faith and made better choices because of it.
So overall it was ok but I didn't like this book as much as I hoped to.
August 16, 2012
Five stars, because anything less would be unfair. This is a collection of letters to and from Mozart. For me to read a dead mans personal letters to friends and family and to then say, "well, I guess I was entertained, maybe I'll read another dead mans personal letters to compare and get a fuller perspective" would sort of feel wrong.
It's a very cool way to get a personal look into who Mozart was. Also, his letters to his wife usually begin with "Dearest, best little wife," which is just great.
It's a very cool way to get a personal look into who Mozart was. Also, his letters to his wife usually begin with "Dearest, best little wife," which is just great.
January 31, 2010
Here is a man who, after having an idea for a piece of music, then sees it "almost complete and finished in my mind, so that I can survey it, like a fine picture or a beautiful statue, at a glance. . . For this reason the committing to paper is done quickly enough, for everything is, as I said before, already finished. . . This is perhaps the best gift I have my Divine Maker to thank for." Wow! And he is so gleeful and joyous, signing letters with one thousand kisses and often more.
This book consisted of letters written between Mozart and his father. It did indeed start out joyously, but later there were darker undertones. Mozart was not a good judge of character and associated with people who would praise him, but ultimately use and abuse him financially. This, combined with his lack of ability to take and keep the jobs that would be most profitable to him and his family, resulted in his and his father's constant worry about money. Also, he was less than forthcoming with his father, who had such high expectations for Mozart's career. Then there was the frustrating aspect of watching this genius trying to prove himself to lesser talents. By the end, I tired of reading the father and son make the same arguments to each other, circling around worn pathways of complaint and frustration. I still give it 4 stars because I learned so much about Mozart and his life and the manner in which he composed. I also was reminded that even geniuses have problems, and I realized I suppose I should be happy with my mediocrity, because if a person excels tremendously at something, he or she is bound to be lacking in some other important talent. That being said, Mozart goes on my list of people I wish I could have met. To play music with him, to watch him compose, to attend a debut of The Magic Flute, even to lend him money, just to be a part of his happy little world being greeted with a thousand kisses, that would be magical.
This book consisted of letters written between Mozart and his father. It did indeed start out joyously, but later there were darker undertones. Mozart was not a good judge of character and associated with people who would praise him, but ultimately use and abuse him financially. This, combined with his lack of ability to take and keep the jobs that would be most profitable to him and his family, resulted in his and his father's constant worry about money. Also, he was less than forthcoming with his father, who had such high expectations for Mozart's career. Then there was the frustrating aspect of watching this genius trying to prove himself to lesser talents. By the end, I tired of reading the father and son make the same arguments to each other, circling around worn pathways of complaint and frustration. I still give it 4 stars because I learned so much about Mozart and his life and the manner in which he composed. I also was reminded that even geniuses have problems, and I realized I suppose I should be happy with my mediocrity, because if a person excels tremendously at something, he or she is bound to be lacking in some other important talent. That being said, Mozart goes on my list of people I wish I could have met. To play music with him, to watch him compose, to attend a debut of The Magic Flute, even to lend him money, just to be a part of his happy little world being greeted with a thousand kisses, that would be magical.
August 11, 2015
Mozart is so engaging and so funny in his letters! What a brilliant mind he had.
January 10, 2022
Literal shitposting
March 6, 2023
It was an interesting book to read. It happens that Mozart it's my favourite composer. And not as a composer and as a human too. I knew about his personality just from the music history books that I have read. I was so exciting when I found out that this books exists.
It was so interesting to see how Mozart thought about things, how he saw life, people, music and work.
It was so interesting to see how Mozart thought about things, how he saw life, people, music and work.
December 28, 2021
"Deoarece însă (la drept vorbind), moartea este adevăratul scop final al vieții noastre, eu, de câțiva ani, așa m-am împăcat cu acest sincer și foarte bun prieten al oamenilor, încât chipul lui nu mai are nimic înspăimântător pentru mine. Din contră, îmi aduce consolare și liniște. Și îi mulțumesc Dumnezeului meu că mi-a acordat prilejul (dumneata mă înțelegi) să-i fac cunoștință în calitatea sa de cheie a adevăratei noastre fericiri. Nu mă culc niciodată în patul meu fără a cugeta că poate (oricât de tânăr sunt), poate nu voi mai fi a doua zi. Cu toate acestea, niciun om dintre cei ce mă cunosc nu va putea spune că aș fi posac sau trist în societate. Și pentru această fericire, îi mulțumesc zilnic Creatorului meu și i doresc din suflet fiecărui semen de-al meu."
December 20, 2021
O carte excepțională, nu numai prin faptul că ne transcende în intimitatea corespondenţei prodigiosului compozitor, ci mai ales pentru că ne descoperă caracterul uimitor al acestui om. Cu "Monsieur, mon très cher Père!" îşi începea scrisorile către tatăl său, căruia îi scria atât de des semnând cu "în veci al dumitale preascultător fiu", iar cele adresate adoratei sale soţii, Constanze, debordau de gingăşie şi tandrețe ("Adio, te sărut de mii de ori. În veci al tău Mozart").
O lectură fascinantă, veselă şi tristă deopotrivă, obligatorie pentru iubitorii muzicii sublime a marelui Mozart!
O lectură fascinantă, veselă şi tristă deopotrivă, obligatorie pentru iubitorii muzicii sublime a marelui Mozart!
September 11, 2012
Such a funny and great guy, you must read it if you want to understand Mozart
September 3, 2009
An absolute must read for classical lovers; this one has dated and non-dated letters written from this prodigy back in the Classical period days. It was unfortunate he had to pass so young at the age of 36....10 more years of his life, I wonder what types of music he could have produced!!!
October 26, 2007
Mozart - you're so funny!
March 21, 2010
unbeliveable
August 10, 2019
Funny that guy Mozart.
February 2, 2014
A true must read!
May 25, 2020
These are not the collected letters and exchanges of a musical genius, though he most certainly was, but rather, an insight into the mind of a seemingly overconfident man whose desperation to please his overbearing and insatiable father overshadows every word he writes in vanity. As these are his own letters, his own correspondence over a short life, there is no cause for criticism, no judgment for which I could ever claim disappointment. Despite his enormous talent, a talent he certainly recognizes and echoes in his own self-congratulatory way, over and over and over, Mozart is just a man, conscious of his ongoing financial burdens, as enamored with a bachelor’s life as he is to eventually love and adore his wife, Constance, and thirsty for lighthearted humor at times when undeniable melancholy, heartache, or rage might seem more appropriate.
For every letter to his father, his salutation was predictably and consistently endearing, “I kiss your hands a thousand times,” a line that only makes sense in retrospect, in looking over all that he wrote, a conclusion that for all that he accomplished, even posthumously, Mozart only ever became what he became because of that relationship with his father, strained though it was on the elder side.
For every letter to his father, his salutation was predictably and consistently endearing, “I kiss your hands a thousand times,” a line that only makes sense in retrospect, in looking over all that he wrote, a conclusion that for all that he accomplished, even posthumously, Mozart only ever became what he became because of that relationship with his father, strained though it was on the elder side.
March 18, 2019
This collection of letters is a great reminder of how similar we are as humans, regardless of the time in which we are born. The love of family, and angst with the family are on full display. One cannot doubt the love between Wolfgang and his father, sister, and his wife when reading these personal letters.
It is a stunning reminder that hard work and talent are not necessarily enough to achieve financial rewards. It is heart breaking to see how rosy Wolfgang frequently saw the future for himself and his family; and to understand that the future he saw was never manifest in his own lifetime. One wonders what further heights he might have reached if a few different decisions had been made along the way.
It is a stunning reminder that hard work and talent are not necessarily enough to achieve financial rewards. It is heart breaking to see how rosy Wolfgang frequently saw the future for himself and his family; and to understand that the future he saw was never manifest in his own lifetime. One wonders what further heights he might have reached if a few different decisions had been made along the way.
January 11, 2022
Nu am fost niciodată fan al memorialisticii. Am început câteva cărți pe care nu le-am putut duce la bun sfârșit, dar scrisorile lui Mozart pur și simplu nu am putut să le las din mână.
Un lucru interesant care m-a atras a fost semi monologul cărții, 90 % fiind scrisorile lui adresate către tatăl, repsectiv soția sa, prea puțin apare și corespondența celorlalți, așadar poți doar deduce ceea ce a primit ca răspunsuri. Deasemenea tonul și jovialitatea lui te cuceresc de la început până la sfârșit iar scrisorile adresate soției sunt un adevărat festin literar. Cumva asta te face să vrei să citești mai departe și în același timp să simți că pur și simplu invadezi intimitatea oamenilor.
Da o recomand cu toată căldura!!!
Un lucru interesant care m-a atras a fost semi monologul cărții, 90 % fiind scrisorile lui adresate către tatăl, repsectiv soția sa, prea puțin apare și corespondența celorlalți, așadar poți doar deduce ceea ce a primit ca răspunsuri. Deasemenea tonul și jovialitatea lui te cuceresc de la început până la sfârșit iar scrisorile adresate soției sunt un adevărat festin literar. Cumva asta te face să vrei să citești mai departe și în același timp să simți că pur și simplu invadezi intimitatea oamenilor.
Da o recomand cu toată căldura!!!
January 25, 2022
A casual reader using this book as their primary glimpse into Mozart's life will miss a huge, fascinating, and potentially embarrassing side to his personality. At least it obviously embarrassed the translator in this case. Specifically, she sadly omits many interesting letters, including scatological ones--edited out are many hilarious and naughty communications that leave the reader thinking Mozart is a well-behaved and clever letter writer with that folded into the mind of a musical genius. That's not entirely the case.
December 29, 2022
I‘ve started my obsession with W.A. Mozart as a little child, I enjoyed listening to his music and watch the ‚Little Amadeus‘ animated TV show where i btw collected all the DVDs. Reading his letters and getting a glimpse of him was defintely present in this small book and I am grateful that these letters have been released and that I bought the book the second I saw it
March 16, 2020
Well put together
July 26, 2022
Huh, mozart be kind of a manipulative asshole
Read
November 10, 2022DNF, not because I didn't like it but because it was a perfect gift for a friend moving interstate.
May 15, 2023
Sammlung der Briefe Mozarts - ein ganz schöner Frechdachs mit Schalk im Nacken
Dennoch - man muss schon ein Fan sein, damit man sich da wirklich hinein vergraben will
Dennoch - man muss schon ein Fan sein, damit man sich da wirklich hinein vergraben will
April 5, 2023
Mozart's Micawberish optimism and his submissiveness to his perpetually critical and disapproving father make an indelible impression. A striking feature of his letters is his progressively assertive and resistive response to his controlling old dad. As well as being a towering genius, Mozart was a vulnerable and loveable man. Unable to bear the dependency and humiliations of a professional composer, he made poor career decisions that often look like self-sabotage.
Fun selection, though increasingly sad and, of course, ultimately tragic.
Fun selection, though increasingly sad and, of course, ultimately tragic.
September 6, 2016
Mozart's letters are all the joy, cheer, brilliant wit and love of life that is expressed in his music put into words. The letters are primarily between the composer and his father. It is easy to see the optimist, naive, little boy with a wicked sense of humor who never quite grew up. All of his letters to his father are gushing about the latest friends he has made ("Count so and so loves my work he is going to commission me to write so many sonatas if I will travel to Italy with him etc...")
And his father's response: "Are you out of your feather-headed mind?! I told you to stay in Vienna where you can get a real job with a commission at the court."
I'm paraphrasing, but you get the idea.
Back and forth it goes. We learn a lot about the aristocracy and how they treated the little guy. Mozart was apparently a little guy. He was always strapped for funds and even though many wealthy patrons enjoyed his music, they weren't always intelligent enough to truly understand the genius behind it. They often treated him disrespectfully.
For the rest of my review cut and paste the link to my blog post:
http://sharonhenning.blogspot.com/201...
And his father's response: "Are you out of your feather-headed mind?! I told you to stay in Vienna where you can get a real job with a commission at the court."
I'm paraphrasing, but you get the idea.
Back and forth it goes. We learn a lot about the aristocracy and how they treated the little guy. Mozart was apparently a little guy. He was always strapped for funds and even though many wealthy patrons enjoyed his music, they weren't always intelligent enough to truly understand the genius behind it. They often treated him disrespectfully.
For the rest of my review cut and paste the link to my blog post:
http://sharonhenning.blogspot.com/201...
February 28, 2021
Appena terminato...e mi invade la sensazione di quanto già lo consideri imprescindibile nella mia esperienza di ascoltatore. Certo, se non l'avessi mai letto avrei continuato a godere di Mozart come una delle più belle esperienze di questa vita...ma ora ne godo con una qualità in più, una consapevolezza diversa, un panorama più vasto e più specifico allo stesso tempo.
Sono solo parole del compositore, dell'uomo, nessuna mediazione, nessuna interpretazione. Un patrimonio il cui valore più inestimabile, a mio avviso, consiste nell'offrire a chiunque la possibilità di perdersi e volare a modo proprio, nello spazio che si descrive fra l'uomo e la sua musica.
Sono solo parole del compositore, dell'uomo, nessuna mediazione, nessuna interpretazione. Un patrimonio il cui valore più inestimabile, a mio avviso, consiste nell'offrire a chiunque la possibilità di perdersi e volare a modo proprio, nello spazio che si descrive fra l'uomo e la sua musica.
May 19, 2016
Good general collection of Mozart's letters, some of which I'd seen before, others not. I had previously only read letters between Mozart and his father, so it was interesting to see a change of tone on Mozart's part depending on who he was writing. However, while there were letters from Leopold to his son included, and some from Mozart's mother, I wish there had also been letters from Mozart's wife. At least near the end.
(Also, this edition of his letters from Everyman's Library is really pretty…)
(Also, this edition of his letters from Everyman's Library is really pretty…)
October 30, 2010
This is the original classic collection of Mozart's letters translated into English. Increasingly harder to come by - heavily edited and censored of course (as was the style of the time) but no less revealing of how hard travel was and how difficult it was for Mozart to find work and keep work given his genuis. A must for classical music fans.
March 12, 2014
I liked that this was purely correspondence, not colored by anyone's opinions of what was meant by this, that and the other. More interesting as it goes along, Mozart grows older, tries to please his father while simultaneously trying to break free. Near the end you get a real sense of his desperation, and a feeling of almost, almost, almost...
Want to read
January 9, 2009Picked up at the Big Book Sale!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews