Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is, of course, one of the most enduringly popular and celebrated composers to have ever lived. With this year marking the 250th anniversary of his birth his compositions remain some of the most frequently interpreted by orchestras worldwide. But what accounts for the perennial popularity of his work? Writing for Opera News Todd B. Sollis praises Pierro Melograni’s Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: A Biography for its keen insight into the enduring presence of Mozart’s music. Sollis writes:
“Never able to secure the kind of well paid permanent court post that many of his contemporaries obtained—Mozart turned to the resources offered him by the consumer market. Melograni argues that in the process Mozart became the sublime composer we know.… Melograni demonstrates persuasively how the [burgeoning 18th C. public of consumers] furnishes the composer with ‘new stimuli,’ assures his greater liberty, and opens the way to modernity in ways that enable him to occupy center stage on the musical scene even two and a half centuries after his [birth].”
Expertly analyzing Mozart’s genius and the social environment that allowed it to thrive, Melograni’s biography will be welcomed by anyone wanting a deeper understanding of one of the greatest artists ever known.
Read an excerpt from the book.