Mozart in Prague

by Daniel E. Freeman

Dismissed in Vienna as a composer of excessively complicated music with little popular appeal, Mozart found complete recognition for his talents in Prague, likely as a byproduct of the exceptional musical literacy of the general population. Accounts of the affection lavished on Mozart by the people of Prague can be deeply moving for those acquainted with his bleak struggles for recognition in Vienna. Indeed, he was manhandled like a rock star at the concert in 1787 that featured the first performance of the “Prague” Symphony in a way that he never experienced anywhere else. And in contrast to the tawdry ceremonies that accompanied Mozart’s burial in Vienna in 1791, his funeral in Prague, attended by thousands of mourners, brought life there to a standstill. It was the residents of Prague, not Vienna, who took responsibility to provide for Mozart’s widow and children. Mozart in Prague tells the story of the amazing civic revival that was responsible for Mozart’s unique personal and musical relationship with this beautiful city and the colorful characters who helped shape it, including Marie Antoinette and Giacomo Casanova.

494 pages, Kindle Edition

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.