The Compleat Mozart: A Guide to the Musical Works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

by William Cowdery (Editor), Neal Zaslaw (Editor)

A Guide to the musical works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Published to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Mozart's death in 1791, this book is designed to be a guide to the composer's works and is aimed at the music-lover who wishes to read something informative about any particular piece. Although there are many books which deal with the handful of famous operas, symphonies, concertos, or string quartets upon which Mozart's reputation rests, this collection contains in a single volume details about any work composed by Mozart and where, when and why he wrote it, what it is like, and what special significance it may have.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Leftbanker]

Why can't there be six stars? The definitive work on the works of Mozart. The book gives a thumbnail sketch on every piece that the guy wrote—something like 615. I’m a total geek about reference books so sue me.

[Rene Saller]

A very handy encyclopedia, with excellent discussions of basically everything (everything I could think to look up anyway). The editor Neal Zaslaw's entries are especially engaging and well-written.

[Christina]

I went through a Mozart phase, sparked by the movie "Amadeus" and the beauty of his music. For me, this book stood out during that period as I delved deep into learning everything I could about Mozart. "The Complete Mozart" is a comprehensive biography of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart written by Neal Zaslaw. It explores Mozart's life from his early years as a musical prodigy in Salzburg to his prolific career in Vienna, where he composed some of the most enduring works in classical music. The biography delves into Mozart's personal life, his relationships with family and patrons, and his artistic development across various genres, including symphonies, operas, chamber music, and piano concertos. Zaslaw examines Mozart's impact on music history and his enduring legacy as one of the greatest composers of all time.

[Rose]

My review:

A "must have" reference when reading any Mozart Biography of note.

-Rose.

[Michael Flick]

Complete, indeed, and indispensable for the Mozart fanatic (that would be me): short essays on virtually everything Mozart ever wrote, over 800 works.