Publication Jan. 30, 2023
Here's your backstage pass to all things Mozart. Actually, it's better than a backstage pass. It allows you to be a fly on the wall during his early years. You meet his family, including his also amazingly musically talented sister. You get to tag along as his father directs his initial climb to fame and fortune. You even get to read his sister's musings on him, not to mention look over his shoulder as he writes not another symphony but a remarkably personal, heart-felt letter to his distant wife. In other words, you are there.
Based on the premise that Mozart was "The Original King of Pop", this book does an excellent job giving us a look at not only Mozart's family but the times. In this day and age, his father would probably be seen as the ultimate "stage father", which will make you ponder both the joys and pressures on the boy -- remember, he learned to play at age four -- as his father markets his remarkable talents. Note, his sister was certainly a musical prodigy, too, but in that era, sigh, much as it remains today, a woman found it difficult to make a name for herself. You'll probably cringe at some of the behaviors tolerated from boy Mozart, while pondering what was really going on in his mind.
While most of the details of Mozart's musical life and career are detailed here, this book made him human to my eyes. I felt hope, sorrow, and puzzlement at times, constantly having to remind myself that life was different, very different during his relatively short life. Born in 1756, a favorite in royal courts, his life was certainly exciting, but this book reveals the human behind the name. I liked Leonard Bernstein's take on him: "Mozart combines serenity, melancholy and tragic intensity..."
Thank you #NetGalley and #Pen&Sword - #Pen&SwordHistory for giving me this backstage pass into Mozart's life. I tune into the classical station on my car's radio regularly but will never hear his music quite the same. Yep, he classifies as a rock/pop star in my book.
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