The Other Mozart: Poems

by Sharon Chmielarz

A vital, delightful, engaging sketch of the life of Maria Anna Mozart, a child prodigy herself before she was eclipsed by the genius of her younger brother. "...dearest Sister...please trust me absolutely and never think that I shall forget you; but remember that things do not always turn out, or at least not always exactly, as one wishes."Mozart (17) to Maria Anna (22), 1778 Charming, intelligent, witty, beautiful, irreverent, Maria Anna (Nannerl) was the older sister of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. A musical genius in her own right, she toured the courts of Europe as a wunderkind from 1762 to 1767. But her career was cut short when her father, Leopold Mozart, decided to focus his resources on her brother Wolfgang. Sharon Chmielarz dramatizes important moments throughout Nannerl's life, creating a vital, engaging, and ultimately tragic heroine. The poems range from childhood scenes to Nannerl's early retirement and years of virtual exclusion, her marriage of convenience to a wealthy older man, the births of her children, the loss of her parents, brother, and husband, and finally her return as a widow to Salzburg. A fascinating, richly detailed glimpse into the private life of a cultured woman of her era, The Other Mozart , is engaging both as biography and poetry.

Genres: Poetry

98 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2001

Reviews

[Francesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again read this for a paper. Some of the poems were convoluted but I appreciated all the time and effort that the author went in to write this book. I thought the topic was really cool, it's just no one reads historical poetry.

[Kirsti Call · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely, fascinating and well written.

[Tracy Youngblom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This imaginative exploration of the life of Mozart's real sister, Nannerl, was fascinating! As usual, Chmielarz's poetic skills are evident in the crafting of the poems. Though I probably missed some references to the actual biography of the "other Mozart," I enjoyed the narrative arc of the book and the characterization of a woman slave to her culture and family.