Mozart: the man and the artist, as revealed in his own words by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart: the man and the artist, as revealed in his own words Reviews

• 
  Eileen

  A collection of excerpts from letters written by Mozart which would be more interesting in the context of a full biography.
• 
  Corinna Hogan

  This is by far the best way to start knowing Mozart. How else should you get to know him than by the words of the man himself? It truly is a collection of quotes. They are divided up by subject and each quote has a date, citation, and background information. There are a few paragraphs before each section giving more general information. I loved it, highlighted half of it, and think it was the best way to start my personal study of Mozart.
• 
  Al Maki

  Excerpts from Mozart's letters and anecdotes from people who knew him. Collected and originally published in German in 1905 and subsequently translated into English where it can now be found on Project Gutenberg. Gives some insight into the mind of a very unusual human being - a man who could compose a piece of music entirely in his head and while writing it down, compose another piece. In his day to day life he appears to have been a very warm and candid person, deeply attached to his family.
• 
  Rosanne R. Madden

  Exceptional and noteworthy
  
  For anyone desiring to know and understand the life and works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart this would be a great place to begin. What a fabulous thought to publish his letters as an incite. Wonderfully done!
• 
  Thom Swennes

  Mozart: The Man and the Artist Revealed in His Own Words by Henry Krehbiel is a collection of excerpts from Mozart. The excerpts are distributed into different chapters that each concerns itself with various subjects. The popular picture painted of the child prodigy and musical genius that effortlessly produced such a copious amount of music in such a short life, doesn’t coincide with his own words. History has never doubted his genius; Mozart the composer has and will always be loved by man. The compositions he wrote during his short life will continue in popularity and affection even when we, as mere mortals, are long dead and forgotten. Mozart the man has been presented in many ways but I think the only true picture can be derived from his own words. This book gives a good glimpse of the man behind the music.
• 
  Aaron Records

  A good short read that summarizes, especially if you read the notes, much of Mozart's life. It is a source I will keep handy in the future for quotes. If you are trying to read this as a biography of Mozart's life, though, I would suggest another book first since this is basically, except the brief editorial sections, excerpts from the letters of Mozart -- as the title implies. Ergo, it isn't as comprehensive as a 200 or 300 page biography. The upside is that this collection of excerpts allows you to see how Mozart thought and it's only 100 or so pages, so it's easy to breeze through. And it's free.
• 
  GLENN

  I gave this book three stars as it finished without too much of a conclusion. To be fair it did give me more of an understanding of Mozart the man and I highlighted quite a few quotes within my kindle app, particularly in the sections regarding his love for his wife and composition technique. The fact that it was read in a day (and I'm quite a slow reader) should encourage potential readers with an interest in Mozart to give this book a try...and it's free in amazon.
• 
  Angela Joyce

  This is made up of excerpts from Mozart's letters, and one can see how the play/film "Amadeus" could be put together from some of it. The general impression given by these excerpts is that Mozart was a basically lovable, decent person who was most definitely a genius-- and for that reason, found it hard at times to understand and relate to people who were not. But his words clearly show the affectionate, passionate nature that came through in his music.
• 
  arg/machine

  This neat little volume, which offers a down-to-earth portrayal of Mozart [as gleaned from the letters the musical genius wrote to his family and friends], is now in the
  public domain and can be freely obtained from
  here.
• 
  Nicholas Maulucci

  a prodigy - yes. a little over - analytical to the point of critical was Mozart. the book was mostly quotes or excerpts from letters that Mozart had written. the book was divided up into different subjects. recommended for Mozart fanatics (of whom I am not one) or for those in a reading contest or those doing a report on Mozart.
• 
  Felmar Roel

  Mozart is my favourite composer.
• 
  reneeNaDaCherry

  An interesting look at the life of Mozart and his writings, which are insightful and inspiring.
• 
  Eric

  Fairly good formatting but
  
  Krehbiel's edition of these letters is now (I gather) regarded as filled with information now known to be incorrect (his description of Mozart's interactions with Colloredo is unnuanced, for example.) 3.5 stars at best really.