Mozart

In this definitive biography, Wolfgang Hildesheimer demythologizes Mozart, revealing him as a flawed and puzzling human being, but a matchless artist. Hildesheimer's fresh approach to the music itself, his telling quotations from Mozart's letters (Mozart was one of the greatest and most outrageous of letter writers), and his sympathetic but unsentimental insights make this remarkably readable portrait of one of the most popular composers of all time. (book description from the US edition by FSG)

»Totally fascinating [...] A book that is not only esthetically satisfying but brilliantly argued as well.« Newsday

»There is an astonishing abundance of persuasive insight in the character-analyses Hildesheimer draws from the music, and particularly in what he finds in the opera characters as they relate to Mozart himself.« The Washington Post Book World

»A thoughtful and intriguing work, a most honorable attempt at musical understanding.« The New York Times Book Review

»Succesfully strips the many layers of romantic veneer that have accrued since the composer's death. [...] Hildesheimer moves Mozart as clearly into view as possible.« The Wall Street Journal