Mozart in Prague

by Daniel E. Freeman

One of the most intriguing questions in all of music history is why the people of 18th-century Prague were Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's most ardent admirers.- both during his lifetime and following his untimely death. Dr. Daniel E. Freeman's MOZART in PRAGUE combines scholarly expertise and personal appreciation for one of the world's most beautiful cities to answer this question definitively. Bringing to life the richness of Czech history and the cultural vibrancy of 18th century Prague, Dr. Freeman's MOZART in PRAGUE vividly depicts Mozart and his contemporaries including the librettist Lorenzo da Ponte, composer Josef Mysliveček, Prague musical icons František and Josefa Dušek, the legendary Giacomo Casanova, Marie Antoinette, the emperor Leopold II, and many others, explaining how the composer's ties to Prague resulted in such masterpieces as DON GIOVANNI, LA CLEMENZA di TITO, the "PRAGUE" SYMPHONY, and more. Musicologist Dr. Daniel E. Freeman is the world's leading authority on 18th-century Czech music who was born outside of the Czech Republic. He teaches music history at the University of Minnesota and has appeared frequently as a lecturer at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and at scholarly conferences throughout the United States and Europe. His additional works include JOSEF MYSLIVEČEK: "IL BOEMO" - THE MAN and HIS MUSIC, and THE OPERA THEATER of COUNT ANTON VON SPORCK.

334 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Daniel E. Freeman is an American musicologist, pianist, and music editor who lives in Minneapolis. Born in Everett, Washington, he was raised in northern Wisconsin. He has taught music history at the University of Illinois, the University of Southern California, and the University of Minnesota. Since 2002, he has appeared regularly as a speaker at the Smithsonian Institution.

He specializes mainly in 18th-century European music, both of the baroque and classic periods, and has produced works that deal with Italian opera, Italian keyboard music, the musical culture of Prague and the Bohemian lands, and the music of W. A. Mozart, J. S. Bach, the Bach sons, Antonio Vivaldi, and Josquin des Prez. His three books based on topics related to the musical culture of Prague are a unique contribution to the musicological literature unmatched by any other scholar.

More detailed biographies of Daniel E. Freeman are available online through Wikipedia in English, German, Czech, and Arabic.

Reviews

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost two years on and I've moved on from avoiding to ignoring this book. Well written, well structured and very thorough, it is a labor born of respect for the author but in a vacuum of apathy. Too erudite for me.