![]() ![]() He makes clear that portraying Mozart as an invariably gloomy person is just as much a caricature as that of the always childishly cheerful composer. ![]() He illustrates that however ‘these tenacious caricatures by and large are distortions rather than fabrications, most of them contain a kernel of truth’ and states that Mozart’s life in music is fascinating enough without embroidery – extraordinary talent doesn’t necessary imply living an extraordinary life but tempts music lovers to romanticising events. In this concise biography, the historian Peter Gay sketches a lively and nuanced portrait of Mozart. Nor have the scholarly efforts of modern biographers dislodged the images that fond music lovers like to summon up when they hear his name: Mozart the wilful child unable to outgrow his infantile ways the wizard so captivating that no one dared to question his credentials for a moment, the miracle worker who never needed to revise a single note in his lightning-quick impromptu inspirations the exhausted volcano who took the mysterious commission to compose a requiem as a supernatural hint at his own impending demise the derelict who was buried in a pauper’s grave.Įveryone familiar with the Amadeus film of Milos Forman will recognize some of these images. From his childhood on, ardent admirers turned Mozart into a celebrity whose life was obscured by legends. ![]()
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