Many books have been written about Mozart, from Mozart the Dramatist to Mozart’s Operas, and even Mozart in the Jungle, which isn’t even about Mozart but about the personal experience of a musician. Such a plethora of literature invites questions like: Which book do I read? Which one will help me better understand the man behind the opera, the man behind the song, the man behind the symphony?
A DePaul University professor once told me, “If possible purchase all the books you can because you will need them sooner or later.” I have applied that advice to my collection of books on Mozart. Judging from the quantity of Mozartean books that line my shelves, one would think I owned every book ever written on the man! But with such a vast collection of Mozart literature available, that’s hardly possible.
As his birthday year comes to a close, let’s take a look at a few of the books about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Biographies
Mozart’s Women: His Family, His Friends, His Music by Jane Glover
This has been my favorite Mozart book thus far because it is beautifully written, academic without seeming so, and entertaining. Glover takes you traveling with Mozart via carriage in 1777 on his way from Mannheim to Paris, his mother freezing at his side. “But during the last two days we were nearly choked to death by the wind and drowned by the rain, so that we both got soaking wet in the carriage and could scarcely breathe,” his mother writes home.
The reader continues on to Rome with Mozart and reads the letters that he wrote to his sister Nannerl stuck at home in Salzburg—letters she herself opened and read over 200 years ago. Mozart’s determination to succeed despite his father breathing down his neck is witnessed page after page. If you think being a musician is tough nowadays, Glover gives you a glimpse of what the genius Mozart had to endure.
Mozart’s Women is finally a novel that has me sitting up whenever Mozart comes on the radio and wanting to know when and why he composed what is floating out of my speakers. The book captures his personality better than any author I have read thus far and offers many insights into the characters of his operas.
Mozart: A Cultural Biography by Robert W. Gutman
Now that we have read Mozart’s Women, let’s immerse ourselves in eighteenth-century European history and watch politics weave their way in and out of Mozart’s life. What was going on both politically and socially during that time? In order to better understand the genius of Mozart we must look at his environment: the wars, the injustices, philosophy, and the Enlightenment. It’s all in Gutman’s book. Prior to reading this book you may want to start with a shorter, more concise biography, because Gutman leaves no stone unturned in this solid 700-page piece of literature.
Mozart: A Life by Maynard Solomon
This 250th birthday edition is an opinionated and extremely detailed biography. The work has been criticized as being speculative, but since Mozart isn’t alive to tell us the real story, all work is speculative to some degree. If anything, the author asks the reader to evaluate Mozart based on the information available and to determine whether opinions developed over time are justified. Mozart’s music is acutely analyzed and one can see in this book his growth as a composer over the years.
Mozart by Wolfgang Hildesheimer
Claimed to have inspired the play Amadeus, which in turn brought about the movie of the same title, German author Wolfgang Hildesheimer’s book captures another view of Mozart’s life and character. This biography has been criticized for being a highly unsubstantiated and presumptuous piece of literature. In fact Maynard Solomon, the author of the book addressed in the previous paragraph, said that Hildesheimer’s book is “written with sensitivity and insight, but reckless of historical constraints.”
The biography does not follow a chronological timeline when dealing with the events of Mozart’s life, yet it does remain an impressive psychological study. Hildesheimer’s Mozart should be read along with a more thorough and fact-based biography.
Mozart: His Character, His Work by Alfred Einstein
Einstein applies his obvious love of Mozart to analysis of his music rather than concentrating on his personal life. Einstein addresses his music with an easy nonpedantic style and sets out to discuss almost every piece Mozart has written. Einstein’s Mozart also includes a complete listing of the Köchel catalog. When he does discuss the personal life of Mozart it tends to be opinionated, especially the chapter entitled “Mozart and the Eternal Feminism.” But Einstein, who is known as the editor of the first thorough revision of the Köchel catalog, is steadfast in his writings as evidenced by four sections out of five devoted entirely to music. His chapter on opera is divided into four parts, “Mozart and the Opera,” “Opera Seria,” “Opera Buffa,” and “The German Opera.” Yet another great exploration of Mozart’s operatic genius.
Mozart: An Extraordinary Life by Julian Rushton
How can one achieve brevity when writing about Mozart? Well, Rushton can and does. This book is insightful in its descriptions and observances and is precise when quoting and exploring many of Mozart’s works, touching on every musical genre the master composed. From chapters entitled “Sacred Music” to “Land of the Clavier” to “Chamber Music,” this biography explores it all but with succinctness. Shakespeare, who once said, “Brevity is the soul of wit, and tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,” would enjoy this read.
Mozart (The Illustrated Lives of the Great Composers) by Peggy Woodford
I love this book for two very simple reasons: it has pictures and it is short. If you will be flying to sing the Count somewhere, take this perfect flight companion along with you. It concisely gives you a glimpse into Mozartland.
Pictures include the photos from opera performances, paintings of the composer’s family, and other portraits. Certainly words do fill in the space left between pictures, and the text includes biographical information as well as some letters. So, if you have found that there simply is no time to read a biography and you have a performance in two days, sit back, grab an espresso, and in the time it takes to drink it you will have read the book.
Getting the Most Out of Mozart: The Vocal Works (Unlocking the Masters Series, no. 4) by David Hurwitz
The extra room in your backpack created by new flight regulations banning lotions and giant bottles of water leaves just enough room for Getting the Most Out of Mozart. Don’t forget to load the accompanying CD into your iPod prior to embarking. Relax, ask for some wine, and leaf through this helpful book that actually includes a discussion of Mozart’s concert arias and sacred works. At only 200 pages you will get an overview of his vocal prowess. It also makes a great gift for the friend who thinks The Phantom of the Opera and Le nozze di Figaro are in the same category.
Letters
Two books are on my shelves that are filled with letters written by and to “Wolfie,” as Mozart was so affectionately called. Both divide the letters into excellent categories that easily summarize Mozart’s experiences.
The first book, Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart selected and edited by Hans Mersmann, has a section on letters written on Mozart’s operas, as well as sections devoted solely to Le nozze di Figaro and Idomeneo. Of course the rest include his life with his family and his travels throughout Europe.
The second book, Mozart: The Man and the Artist, as Revealed in His Own Words compiled and annotated by Friedrich Kerst, gets more in depth with regard to Mozart’s personality with subject headings such as “Self-Respect and Honor,” “Love and Friendship,” and “Worldly Wisdom.” Both are excellent books and one cannot get enough from the composer’s intimate and informative letters.
Operas
Mozart’s Operas by Daniel Heartz
This appropriately titled book is the first one I run to when singing a Mozart opera. I love it. It is also a beautiful book to display on your shelf and essential reading for any lover of opera. Heartz provides historical background while adding social commentary of the time surrounding the work in question. He gives fresh ideas on each opera. For instance, the chapter entitled “From Beaumarchais to Da Ponte: The Metamorphosis of Figaro” embarks on Beaumarchais and his work, the original source and inspiration. The book cleverly weaves both unique and new historical views on the complete Mozart operas.
The Figaro Trilogy by Pierre de Beaumarchais
Speaking of Beaumarchais, this is the second book that I run to, written by Beaumarchais himself. The characters come alive as one reads these plays. When creating a character for opera, each new piece of information creates layers of dramatic depth. From Beaumarchais’ plays we learn the ages, the relationships, and the details about the small world of the characters in Mozart’s operas. All I can say is that it is a must-have when performing
“Figaro” or The Barber of Seville for that matter.
Three Mozart Libretti by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
This book also vies as a frontrunner for the first must-read when doing a Mozart work. I like this book because it is far easier to read than the tiny librettos included with the operas. If you are in need of another libretto besides Così fan tutte, Don Giovanni, or Le nozze di Figaro included in this book, then check out the options for separate libretti, usually sold through Cambridge Opera handbooks. Another bonus to owning this book and other comparable libretti is that it aids in your study of the language: the English is on one side and the Italian on the other. Buon studio!
Mozart and the Enlightenment: Truth, Virtue, and Beauty in Mozart’s Operas by Nicholas Till
Mozart was composing during one of the most interesting times in history, the Age of Enlightenment preceded by the Age of Reason. This book by professor and opera director Nicholas Till is a great read to help further your knowledge of these times. Not only does the book provide a history lesson on the Enlightenment, but it also shares insight on how philosophical views—both societal and Mozart’s own—influenced his work. This book helps the reader understand why Mozart’s operas were not only pertinent to eighteenth-century Europe but to also gain an understanding on society’s philosophical growth after the Age of Reason.
The Magic Flute Unveiled: Esoteric Symbolism in Mozart’s Masonic Opera by Jacques Chailley
So many books tend to concentrate on “Figaro,” “Giovanni,” and “Così,” but if you find yourself performing The Magic Flute, here’s the book for you. It is written in three sections: “Preliminary Circumvolutions,” “In Pursuit of the Hidden Meaning,” and finally “Analysis of the Opera.” The first section deals with the origins and the history of the opera and the libretto, as well as Freemasonry and feminism. The second section concerns itself with hidden meanings in the characters and symbols in the opera. The third section explores the music and the words as symbolism. Referring to this book when performing The Magic Flute will definitely add nuance to your character development when performing this opera.
Mozart the Dramatist by Brigid Brophy
Jane Glover calls this book “an illuminating, invigorating, thought provoking and profoundly human book, of immense value to any lover of Mozart.”
Brigid Brophy uses psychoanalysis to approach both Mozart’s mind and his operas. Brophy advises analyzing Mozart as a literary scholar would Shakespeare. Mozart “was a creative psychologist whose characters, who exist in music plus drama, deserve the serious and searching affection—passion, even—we give to Shakespeare’s.” This insight sets up her clear intentions as to why she wrote this book. Mozart the Dramatist is another essential read for any singer who wants to think of himself or herself as a singing actor.
Recently, I told an English major friend of mine that I was writing this article on Mozart. “Pardon me, but hasn’t the guy been dead for a long time?” he said with a haughty laugh. “Well, it is his 250th birthday,” I humbly replied.
As I hung up the phone I thought to myself that although Mozart has been gone for quite some time, look at how alive he is today. Just look at how many books have been written and are still being written about him. Mozart is as relevant today as he was yesterday and as he will remain in the future. Now go crack open those books.
