This excellent book chronicles Mozart's final year. A year in which he wrote 'The Magic Flute', 'La clemenza di Tito' and the unfinished Requiem. In an informal, but scholarly way H.C. Robbins Landon elucidates the origins of these works and as far as possible separates out fact from fiction. After such 'cod history' as 'Amadeus' this book comes as an informative relief. Although surprisingly Robbins Landon concludes that much of the legend surrounding the genesis of the Requiem is true. It is also good to read such a vigorous defense of Constanze. This is a detailed and scholarly book, but that never gets in the way of the story. For example, the revenue sources that would have been open to a composer are that time are described in detail, but Robbins Landon makes this interesting and explains why it is important.
Perhaps what has remained with me most from this book is not so much Mozart's towering genius and the tragedy of his early death, but that in a way his talent was squandered. To quote from early in the book;
When one examines the list of music that Mozart composed in these first three months of 1791, it is the lack of symphonies, quartets, quintets, masses, operas … which is curious and depressing. Is that all the court expected from its official chamber composer – minuets and German dances, however magnificent? … The Nissen biography refers to a receipt for such dance music, on which the composer wrote: 'To much for what I did, not enough for what I could do.'
This is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.
Flamingo, 240 pages
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