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My Dearest Father
'They wanted me to give a concert; I wanted them to beg me. And so they did. I gave a concert.'
A selection of personal correspondence between Mozart and his most important mentor and supporter, his father.
Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791).
Mozart's work available in Penguin Classics is Mozart: A Life In Letters.
A selection of personal correspondence between Mozart and his most important mentor and supporter, his father.
Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791).
Mozart's work available in Penguin Classics is Mozart: A Life In Letters.
60 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1791
About the author
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
7,586 books173 followersJohann Georg Leopold Mozart, the Austrian composer, toured Europe with his son, child prodigy, noted Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who gracefully and imaginatively refined the classical style with symphonies, concertos, operas, Masses, sonatas, and chambers among his 626 numbered works.
The comic plays of French writer Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais inspired Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to operas.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart prolifically influenced the era. Many persons acknowledged this pinnacle of piano and choral music. His popularity most endures.
Mozart showed earliest ability. From the age of five years in 1761 already competently on keyboard and violin performed before royalty. At seventeen years in 1773, a court musician in Salzburg engaged him, who restlessly traveled always abundantly in search of a better position.
Mozard visited Vienna in 1781; Salzburg dismissed his position, and he chose to stay in the capital and achieved fame but little financial security over the rest of life. The final years in Vienna yielded his many best-known Requiem . People much mythologized the circumstances of his early death. Constanze Mozart, his wife, two sons survived him.
Mozart always learned voraciously and developed a brilliance and maturity that encompassed the light alongside the dark and passionate; a vision of humanity, "redeemed through art, forgiven, and reconciled with nature and the absolute," informed the whole. He profoundly influenced all subsequent western art music. Ludwig van Beethoven wrote on his own early in the shadow of Mozart, of whom Franz Joseph Haydn wrote that "posterity will not see such a talent again in 100 years."
The comic plays of French writer Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais inspired Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to operas.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart prolifically influenced the era. Many persons acknowledged this pinnacle of piano and choral music. His popularity most endures.
Mozart showed earliest ability. From the age of five years in 1761 already competently on keyboard and violin performed before royalty. At seventeen years in 1773, a court musician in Salzburg engaged him, who restlessly traveled always abundantly in search of a better position.
Mozard visited Vienna in 1781; Salzburg dismissed his position, and he chose to stay in the capital and achieved fame but little financial security over the rest of life. The final years in Vienna yielded his many best-known Requiem . People much mythologized the circumstances of his early death. Constanze Mozart, his wife, two sons survived him.
Mozart always learned voraciously and developed a brilliance and maturity that encompassed the light alongside the dark and passionate; a vision of humanity, "redeemed through art, forgiven, and reconciled with nature and the absolute," informed the whole. He profoundly influenced all subsequent western art music. Ludwig van Beethoven wrote on his own early in the shadow of Mozart, of whom Franz Joseph Haydn wrote that "posterity will not see such a talent again in 100 years."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
July 31, 2016
This was a very enjoyable if personal look at Mozart.
HOW TO ENJOY PROPERLY.
1) Spend until 3am putting together a playlist based on the dates for each letter.
2) Find a country lane, lake or loch and walk along listening to the music while reading.
What was interesting is how the music reflects the content of the letters. INCREDIBLE!
For me Mozart has always been the equivelent to a rock musician and here it is confirmed. In one of the letters he describes how in a bit of a drunken state he sang one of the arias and replaced it with the line, "O you prick, lick my arse". A true genius and still very modern and relevent.
HOW TO ENJOY PROPERLY.
1) Spend until 3am putting together a playlist based on the dates for each letter.
2) Find a country lane, lake or loch and walk along listening to the music while reading.
What was interesting is how the music reflects the content of the letters. INCREDIBLE!
For me Mozart has always been the equivelent to a rock musician and here it is confirmed. In one of the letters he describes how in a bit of a drunken state he sang one of the arias and replaced it with the line, "O you prick, lick my arse". A true genius and still very modern and relevent.
February 15, 2016
I’ve been avoiding this edition, along with several others, for a while now. Simply because I knew that I wouldn’t like it before I even read it. I’m endeavouring to review everything in this collection, so I gritted my teeth and pressed on. I don’t directly dislike this, but I certainly didn’t enjoy reading it. I think Mozart’s writing will appeal to a very small minority of people; it will not be interesting to those that like his music, but only to those that love it so much that they want to discover a little bit about the composer himself. As I consider myself a member of the former rather than the latter, this was completely uninteresting for me. This is now my thirty-third review in this series, and I really don’t recommend this edition to those that have no interest in Mozart. I’d go with something with a bit more substance.
The letters do reflect Mozart’s complex relationship with his farther; they do capture the awkwardness and the reverence between father and son. If you can sense a big “but” coming then you’re absolutely right. However (ha! fooled you). Seriously, though, the letters are just not that interesting. I think they’re a weak addition to this series, and I don’t think it’s fair to consider these a proper form of literature. That’s a high brow statement, but I just don’t think there’s much to be got from this correspondence. Well, except for boredom.
“We are not incurring any expenses that are not necessary; and what is necessary when travelling you know as well as we do, if not better. That we stayed so long in Munich was the fault of no one but myself.”
This was such a dull affair; the whole thing reeked of mundaneness and tiresome communication. It just wasn’t for me; thus, I avoided it for a long time.
Penguin Little Black Classic- 51
The Little Black Classic Collection by penguin looks like it contains lots of hidden gems. I couldn’t help it; they looked so good that I went and bought them all. I shall post a short review after reading each one. No doubt it will take me several months to get through all of them! Hopefully I will find some classic authors, from across the ages, that I may not have come across had I not bought this collection.
The letters do reflect Mozart’s complex relationship with his farther; they do capture the awkwardness and the reverence between father and son. If you can sense a big “but” coming then you’re absolutely right. However (ha! fooled you). Seriously, though, the letters are just not that interesting. I think they’re a weak addition to this series, and I don’t think it’s fair to consider these a proper form of literature. That’s a high brow statement, but I just don’t think there’s much to be got from this correspondence. Well, except for boredom.
“We are not incurring any expenses that are not necessary; and what is necessary when travelling you know as well as we do, if not better. That we stayed so long in Munich was the fault of no one but myself.”
This was such a dull affair; the whole thing reeked of mundaneness and tiresome communication. It just wasn’t for me; thus, I avoided it for a long time.
Penguin Little Black Classic- 51
The Little Black Classic Collection by penguin looks like it contains lots of hidden gems. I couldn’t help it; they looked so good that I went and bought them all. I shall post a short review after reading each one. No doubt it will take me several months to get through all of them! Hopefully I will find some classic authors, from across the ages, that I may not have come across had I not bought this collection.
December 6, 2018
"Well, if it must be so, then let it be so. But I must ask you at the outset not to rejoice or grive prematurely; for whatever happens, all is well as long as we remain healthy; for happiness consists -- simply in our imagination."
- W.A. Mozart, letter to his father 29 Nov 1777
"I was third voice, but I made up some very different words, for example, O you prick, lick my arse. Sotto voce to my cousin."
- W.A. Mozart, letter to his father 17 Oct 1777
Vol N° 51 of my Penguin Little Black Classics Box Set. This volume contains letters between W.A. Mozart and his father between Oct 1777 and July 1778. Mozart, age 22, is traveling with his mother. He had recently resigned his position at Salzburg and was looking for employment, with visits to Augsburg, Mannheim, Paris, and Munich. His father writes, worried that Mozart isn't being serious, Catholic, or cheap enough.
The letters are both touching, fascinating, and illuminating. My exposure to Mozart has primarily been through his music or through Amadeus the movie. I've read about him, here and there, but it is always a joy to discover a facet of someone (especially a genius) in a circumstance or format you normally don't see them in. It, for me, is similar to seeing that picture of Einstein on a bike. It reminds you that 1) geniuses are very human; 2) humanity, even in its most trivial, always possess qualities of both the mundane AND the genius.
- W.A. Mozart, letter to his father 29 Nov 1777
"I was third voice, but I made up some very different words, for example, O you prick, lick my arse. Sotto voce to my cousin."
- W.A. Mozart, letter to his father 17 Oct 1777
Vol N° 51 of my Penguin Little Black Classics Box Set. This volume contains letters between W.A. Mozart and his father between Oct 1777 and July 1778. Mozart, age 22, is traveling with his mother. He had recently resigned his position at Salzburg and was looking for employment, with visits to Augsburg, Mannheim, Paris, and Munich. His father writes, worried that Mozart isn't being serious, Catholic, or cheap enough.
The letters are both touching, fascinating, and illuminating. My exposure to Mozart has primarily been through his music or through Amadeus the movie. I've read about him, here and there, but it is always a joy to discover a facet of someone (especially a genius) in a circumstance or format you normally don't see them in. It, for me, is similar to seeing that picture of Einstein on a bike. It reminds you that 1) geniuses are very human; 2) humanity, even in its most trivial, always possess qualities of both the mundane AND the genius.
October 2, 2018
Not being a fan of Mozart at all, I didn't expect to like this collection of letters between him and his father. I was very much taken by surprise. Some of the things they write about are mundane, mainly the issue of financing and money, but I actually kind of enjoyed that too. I really felt like I got a glimpse into their lives. And the last letters about Mozart's mother's death actually moved me quite a bit. I was actually considering if I'd enjoy reading a whole collection of their letters (but it would probably be overkill).
May 14, 2023
মোৎজার্ট এবং তার বাবার মধ্যে যেসব চিঠি বিনিময় হয়েছিলো, সেগুলোর কয়েকটা নিয়ে এই সংকলন। মোৎজার্ট-এর বাবা মানুষ হিসেবে বেশ অ্যাংশাস ছিলেন, ভবিষ্যৎ নিয়ে চিন্তায় থাকতেন সবসময়। সে তুলনায় মোৎজার্ট ছিলেন চঞ্চল, 'যা-হবে-দেখা-যাবে' টাইপের। দেখে মজা লাগলো যে সব বাংলাদেশী বাবার মতো মোৎজার্ট-এর বাবাও দূরযাত্রাগামী ছেলেকে নানারকম পথ নির্দেশনা দিয়েছেন। কোন শহরে যেতে হলে কোন শর্টকাট নিতে হবে তা নিয়ে তার উপদেশের অভাব নেই।
তবে আরেকটা বিষয় দেখে অদ্ভুত লাগলো, বিশেষ করে আজকে মা দিবস, তাই। যে চিঠিতে মোৎজার্ট মায়ের মৃত্যুসংবাদ বাবাকে জানিয়েছেন, সেখানে মাকে নিয়ে লিখেছেন এক পৃষ্ঠা। বাকি চিঠি হচ্ছে তার কনসার্ট, মিউজিক, প্যাট্রন, ইন্সট্রুমেন্ট নিয়ে। সেই আলাপ চলেছে তিন-চার পৃষ্ঠাজুড়ে। শুধু তাই নয়, এর আগের চিঠিতে তিনি লিখেছিলেন মা বেঁচে আছে, যদিও তার আগেই মোৎজার্ট-এর মা মারা যায়। তিনি মায়ের মৃত্যুর ব্যাপারে বাবাকে ঠান্ডা মাথায় মিথ্যা কথা লিখেছেন।
বেশিরভাগ জিনিয়াসের মধ্যে কোথায় যেন একটা অমানবিক ব্যাপার থাকে। মানবিক সম্পর্কের সাথে একধরনের দূরত্ব, বা বিচ্ছিন্নতা। আমার মায়ের সাথে আমার খুব ঘনিষ্ঠতা কখনোই ছিলো না। তাও, জিনিয়াসদের মতো অমানবিক হওয়া বোধহয় আমার পক্ষে সম্ভব হবে না।
তবে আরেকটা বিষয় দেখে অদ্ভুত লাগলো, বিশেষ করে আজকে মা দিবস, তাই। যে চিঠিতে মোৎজার্ট মায়ের মৃত্যুসংবাদ বাবাকে জানিয়েছেন, সেখানে মাকে নিয়ে লিখেছেন এক পৃষ্ঠা। বাকি চিঠি হচ্ছে তার কনসার্ট, মিউজিক, প্যাট্রন, ইন্সট্রুমেন্ট নিয়ে। সেই আলাপ চলেছে তিন-চার পৃষ্ঠাজুড়ে। শুধু তাই নয়, এর আগের চিঠিতে তিনি লিখেছিলেন মা বেঁচে আছে, যদিও তার আগেই মোৎজার্ট-এর মা মারা যায়। তিনি মায়ের মৃত্যুর ব্যাপারে বাবাকে ঠান্ডা মাথায় মিথ্যা কথা লিখেছেন।
বেশিরভাগ জিনিয়াসের মধ্যে কোথায় যেন একটা অমানবিক ব্যাপার থাকে। মানবিক সম্পর্কের সাথে একধরনের দূরত্ব, বা বিচ্ছিন্নতা। আমার মায়ের সাথে আমার খুব ঘনিষ্ঠতা কখনোই ছিলো না। তাও, জিনিয়াসদের মতো অমানবিক হওয়া বোধহয় আমার পক্ষে সম্ভব হবে না।
January 24, 2019
No matter how little you might care about classical music, you will probably still agree with me when I say that Mozart was a genius. Full stop. With someone who has become so much of a legend it's easy to forget that he was still just a guy - silly, sometimes irresponsible. These letters are a fun reminder.
I'm surprised these letters were publicized as part of this series, as I wouldn't consider them literature per se. They will appeal to people who are interested in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as a person, and in addition to that already know a few things about him. It's one of those editions where a bit of context and backstory would have been handy, as I had to rely on the knowledge I already had in order to be able to put the letters into context.
What we're being presented here is part of the correspondence between teenage Mozart and his father Leopold, an experienced musician himself who was responsible for his son's early musical education and kept an eye on his career throughout the years. Their relationship was difficult, with the father sometimes struggling to show empathy for Wolfgang Amadeus's impulsiveness, his love for attention and disdain for less talented musicians. At the same time, he was, to a degree, financially dependent on his son and so many of the letters show his frustration with how carelessly Mozart was spending his money.
I liked this a lot and found the letters to be illuminating, yet I would only recommend it to people who are able to approach it with prior knowledge of Mozart, his music and his life, as without a context these letters will probably seem arbitrary. It's a shame that Penguin didn't bother to add a background information!
In 2015 Penguin introduced the Little Black Classics series to celebrate Penguin's 80th birthday. Including little stories from "around the world and across many centuries" as the publisher describes, I have been intrigued to read those for a long time, before finally having started. I hope to sooner or later read and review all of them!
I'm surprised these letters were publicized as part of this series, as I wouldn't consider them literature per se. They will appeal to people who are interested in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as a person, and in addition to that already know a few things about him. It's one of those editions where a bit of context and backstory would have been handy, as I had to rely on the knowledge I already had in order to be able to put the letters into context.
What we're being presented here is part of the correspondence between teenage Mozart and his father Leopold, an experienced musician himself who was responsible for his son's early musical education and kept an eye on his career throughout the years. Their relationship was difficult, with the father sometimes struggling to show empathy for Wolfgang Amadeus's impulsiveness, his love for attention and disdain for less talented musicians. At the same time, he was, to a degree, financially dependent on his son and so many of the letters show his frustration with how carelessly Mozart was spending his money.
I liked this a lot and found the letters to be illuminating, yet I would only recommend it to people who are able to approach it with prior knowledge of Mozart, his music and his life, as without a context these letters will probably seem arbitrary. It's a shame that Penguin didn't bother to add a background information!
In 2015 Penguin introduced the Little Black Classics series to celebrate Penguin's 80th birthday. Including little stories from "around the world and across many centuries" as the publisher describes, I have been intrigued to read those for a long time, before finally having started. I hope to sooner or later read and review all of them!
August 24, 2019
This book is very pleasant to read. I’m a huge fan of Mozart’s music, but other than the play and movie Amadeus, I’ve never read or seen anything about Mozart’s life. I enjoyed reading these letters between him and his father from 1777-1778. I wish there were more, though!! I love the way the father and son interact with each other, the way they share gossip and information about people they both know, the way Leopold scolds Wolfgang (lovingly) and the way Wolfgang defends himself but also remains respectful towards his father. In these letters, Wolfgang is still young, but he seems so different than I expected him to, most notably in his declarations of faith and his staunch Catholicism. I suspect part of this was to please his father, but I wonder how much of it is true to his personal feelings and beliefs.
Overall, I recommend this book. It’s only not rated higher because it’s so short. I also feel like the letters selected could have been chosen more carefully. But it’s a quick, fascinating read that makes me want more. That says it all.
I bought my copy of this book on Amazon, and the company that sent it to me, Blackwell’s, is an old English bookstore. They sent me a cool vintage replica bookmark with the book, which I really love! The book is inexpensive and well worth the $5 or so you’ll spend!
Overall, I recommend this book. It’s only not rated higher because it’s so short. I also feel like the letters selected could have been chosen more carefully. But it’s a quick, fascinating read that makes me want more. That says it all.
I bought my copy of this book on Amazon, and the company that sent it to me, Blackwell’s, is an old English bookstore. They sent me a cool vintage replica bookmark with the book, which I really love! The book is inexpensive and well worth the $5 or so you’ll spend!
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February 4, 2017
"My son, to find one man in 1000 who is your true friend for reasons other than self-interest is one of the greatest wonders of this world."
This Little Black Classic is made up of a collection of letters between the German composer Mozart and his father, Leopold. They are humorous and shattering at the same time, but mostly I found them to be a little dull, though I think the dullness adds to the reality of it all. A lovely insight in to the life of a young man and his career and family, but not something that really piques my interest.
Except all the French bashing, of course.
"Kappellmeister Bach will be here soon - I think he'll be writing an opera - the French are asses and will always remain so, they can do nothing themselves."
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This Little Black Classic is made up of a collection of letters between the German composer Mozart and his father, Leopold. They are humorous and shattering at the same time, but mostly I found them to be a little dull, though I think the dullness adds to the reality of it all. A lovely insight in to the life of a young man and his career and family, but not something that really piques my interest.
Except all the French bashing, of course.
"Kappellmeister Bach will be here soon - I think he'll be writing an opera - the French are asses and will always remain so, they can do nothing themselves."
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Shop | Etsy
Want to read
June 15, 2020The German composer Mozart was apparently very fond of his immediate family, he wrote numerous letters to his sister and to his father, all of which give us a sense of what this giant of the Classical music was like. I am very happy that penguin did a short edition of some of his letters to his father, an edition that can fit in your pocket and be taken out easily at any time to refresh yourself with morsels of Mozart's life through his eyes.
January 10, 2017
Rather mediocre, really. Turns out, Mozart wasn't an impressive correspondent.
March 14, 2019
No matter who you are, be it prince or pauper, your parents will worry about you, and treat you like a child.
That's the assumption I made from reading these letters. Leopold genuinely worried for his son Wolfgang but at the same time put huge responsibilities onto his shoulders and it seems that Wolfgang just wanted his independence.
I just wish that there could have been more letters and a wider variety of conversations and events.
A must read for all classical music fans!
3/5
That's the assumption I made from reading these letters. Leopold genuinely worried for his son Wolfgang but at the same time put huge responsibilities onto his shoulders and it seems that Wolfgang just wanted his independence.
I just wish that there could have been more letters and a wider variety of conversations and events.
A must read for all classical music fans!
3/5
February 28, 2023
Honest and touching, these letters between him and his father give us a peek into the human side of one of the greatest 18th century composers.
January 2, 2017
These letters, written by Mozart and his father, Leopold Mozart, between October 1777 and July 1778, are surprisingly engrossing. At the time, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was about twenty-one or twenty-two and he, accompanied by his mother, was traveling to various cities in western Europe looking for employment while his father and sister held down the fort in Salzburg. The letters begin prosaically enough, with shop talk and frivolous banter from Wolfgang and anxious nagging about money from his father. Their affection for each other is clear, but so is the frustration inherent in the situation of a father/husband juggling tight finances and trying to micromanage the spending of his young adult son and his wife in distant cities. You can clearly picture the parties at both ends of the correspondence slapping their foreheads in annoyance as they try to convey the fact that they are doing their level best to manage things well and why can't their son/father understand this? But then tragedy strikes and the anguish and difficulties of communicating illness and loss through a slow mail system are clear. Even in the midst of sorrow and loss, though, the mundane intrudes, the way it does. The final letters are a touching mix of spiritual concerns and consolations, employment updates, and practical advice. This is number 51 in Penguin's Little Black Classics series, and I enjoyed it very much.
December 24, 2016
This was a short book about some of the letters that were interchanged between Wolfgang and his dad Leopold. It was an interesting little insight into the life that the genius lived and some of the places that he travelled to. One of the things that really bugged me about the book was the relentless focus on money that his father had. Every letter was full of how much Mozart was spending (he was around 22 at the time) and how he was throwing away all the money that he himself and his dad had put aside for him. His dad would just go on and on about how childish Mozart was in his dealings with money and he was travelling without giving enough forethought to where his next income would come from and how long he would stay in which place. It would totally do my head in to have a dad like that! It did get me thinking however because I often prick my ears up when I hear couples talking on a train or in a restaurant or bus and it’s surprising just how much their conversations evolve around money especially if they have young children. If you’re poor you’re talking about money because you haven’t got that much. If you're middle class and comfortable you’re talking about money because you want to make sure you have enough in the pipeline to maintain your middle class Starbucks lifestyle and if you're upper class and rich you’re always talking about money because your rolling in it and obviously you want to make more than the other rich bloke next door with his Tesla. Money’s a feckin lose-lose scenario – bring on a Walden 2 type system anyway.
Anyway I digress. This book is probably worth a quick glance at if you have a spare hour.
Anyway I digress. This book is probably worth a quick glance at if you have a spare hour.
November 21, 2020
Veľmi emotívny úsek z Mozartovho života. Listy začínajú v období, keď je s matkou na cestách a snaží sa uchytiť v hudobnom svete. Má 21 rokov a otec ho často napomínať za to, aké má výdaje. Miestami je to vtipné, miestami obyčajné. Na konci však číha smrť.
Tieto listy ma preniesli do doby, kedy sa pri chorobe dalo len pustiť žilou a modliť sa. Do sveta, kde človek len tak nemohol zdvihnúť telefón a nechať si peniaze poslať z účtu na účet za pár chvíľ. Na listy sa čakalo aj dva týždne a to sa už človek musel dávno rozhodnúť, čo bude ďalej.
Tieto listy ma preniesli do doby, kedy sa pri chorobe dalo len pustiť žilou a modliť sa. Do sveta, kde človek len tak nemohol zdvihnúť telefón a nechať si peniaze poslať z účtu na účet za pár chvíľ. Na listy sa čakalo aj dva týždne a to sa už človek musel dávno rozhodnúť, čo bude ďalej.
April 6, 2019
This was mostly interesting because of the relationship that Mozart had with his father, which is expressed here in the letters that they sent to each other. It gets sad when it covers his mother’s death.
November 1, 2020
A collection of letters written by Mozart and his father to each other. A great insight into Mozart's life and a quick little read.
August 28, 2020
I think i simply do not like reading correspondence... but it was an easy read before bed so yay
November 4, 2017
A very gripping and thoughtful series of letters that gave me a glimpse into the characters of Mozart and his father. Mozart seemed to be an intelligent and thoughtful individual with a bit of an ego, and his father seemed to be a worrisome and yet loving individual (although he had a habit of using run-on sentences!). I really enjoyed venturing into this small compilation of time and devotion, as well as getting an idea of the social workings of the time. It was also quite a treat to get to know a little about Mozart's relationships with others and who he regarded based on his judgement of character. A very quick read that took me a little more than an hour (I'm not that fast of a reader), but gave me a great deal of insight.
November 29, 2016
dievobaimingi ir intelektualūs laiškai. 22 m. Mocartui sukurti simfoniją buvo toks paprastas dalykas kaip kad žurnalistui parašyti straipsnį. liūdna retorika: kodėl dabartiniai 22-mečiai geba tik paveiksluoti maistą?
October 9, 2023
Unless someone is extremely fond of Mozart, then this is not the book for you.
November 2, 2023
Denne var overraskende interessant å lese. En viss form for interesse for musikk og en nysgjerrighet rundt Mozart som person hjelper nok veldig å ha som utgangspunkt når du skal lese denne. Altså dette er jo ikke litteratur, den er ikke skrevet for at andre skal lese det, men det blir en form for litteratur i måten den presenteres på, og i kulturhistorisk kontekst. Hadde kanskje ikke lest en lang bok med dette, men til å være en bok på bare 58 sider som jeg spontankjøpte til 39kr på en liten bokhandel på Bislett, og som jeg leste gjennom på to sittings, så synes jeg den gav meg overraskende mye. First of all, Mozart hadde en jævlig spesiell form for kynisk humor som jeg ble ganske overrasket over. Forholdet mellom Mozart og faren var uten tvil kompleks, og man kan ikke forvente å forstå det gjennom denne boken, men for å gjøre en litt corny sammenlikning så er det litt som å se en film i indie-format, et lite utdrag av noen sitt liv, ingen tydelig begynnelse, og ingen tydelig slutt, bare en rekke med inntrykk. Dette avhenger så klart av leseren, men for meg var det interessant nok til at det ble en page turner. Ellers var det bare interessant å høre Mozart snakke om ulike pianoer og orgler, stykkene sine, reaksjonene hans på publikums respons, hans rare impulser, overforklaringer til farens overanalysering av reisen og pengebruken hans, uttrykkene de brukte, deres ekstreme hengivning til Gud, og hans veldig casual ekstreme hat mot Voltaire.
Kunne sikkert gitt denne en bedre rating sånn opplevelsesmessig, men det er tross alt bare en bitteliten samling av brev som jeg på en måte kunne ha funnet på en nettside eller noe.
Hard quotes:
«To find one man in a 1000 who is your true friend for reasons other than self-interest is one of the greatest wonders of this world» -Leopold Mozart
(mangler bare et bilde av Tommy Shelby i bakgrunnen og et «sigmaworld.net» watermark)
«I was third voice, but I made up some very different words, for example, O you prick, lick my arse. Sotto voce to my cousin.» -W.A. Mozart
Og ikke minst, den feteste av de alle, da Leopold konfronterte sønnen med hvorfor han hadde tilbrakt 2 uker i Augsburg:
«I wanted to give a concert - I was let down; meanwhile a whole week went by. I was absolutely determined to leave. They wouldn’t let me. They wanted me to give a concert; I wanted them to beg me. And so they did. I gave a concert. There are your 2 weeks.» -W.A. Mozart
Kunne sikkert gitt denne en bedre rating sånn opplevelsesmessig, men det er tross alt bare en bitteliten samling av brev som jeg på en måte kunne ha funnet på en nettside eller noe.
Hard quotes:
«To find one man in a 1000 who is your true friend for reasons other than self-interest is one of the greatest wonders of this world» -Leopold Mozart
(mangler bare et bilde av Tommy Shelby i bakgrunnen og et «sigmaworld.net» watermark)
«I was third voice, but I made up some very different words, for example, O you prick, lick my arse. Sotto voce to my cousin.» -W.A. Mozart
Og ikke minst, den feteste av de alle, da Leopold konfronterte sønnen med hvorfor han hadde tilbrakt 2 uker i Augsburg:
«I wanted to give a concert - I was let down; meanwhile a whole week went by. I was absolutely determined to leave. They wouldn’t let me. They wanted me to give a concert; I wanted them to beg me. And so they did. I gave a concert. There are your 2 weeks.» -W.A. Mozart
July 8, 2024
Hello? I did absolutely not expect the Mozart family to love each other SOOO deeply.. ‘I kiss your hand 1000 times and embrace my sister with all my heart’. I loved their family bond so so much. The sad part of of course about Wolfgang’s mother but this part also stuck out to me:
Leopold: I gave up every hour of my life to you 2, in the hope of ensuring not only that in due course you’d both be able to count on being able to provide for yourselves, but that I too, would be able to enjoy a peaceful old age and be accountable to God for my children’s education, with no more cares but being able to live solely for my soul’s salvation, and calmly await my end.
I just thought it’s sad how famous & rich Wolfgang was but at the same time horrible with money and financial responsibilities & put his father in debt. But I loved these letters so so so much 5/5!
Leopold: I gave up every hour of my life to you 2, in the hope of ensuring not only that in due course you’d both be able to count on being able to provide for yourselves, but that I too, would be able to enjoy a peaceful old age and be accountable to God for my children’s education, with no more cares but being able to live solely for my soul’s salvation, and calmly await my end.
I just thought it’s sad how famous & rich Wolfgang was but at the same time horrible with money and financial responsibilities & put his father in debt. But I loved these letters so so so much 5/5!
May 6, 2018
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I was looking for a book with a music theme for a monthly challenge and this was the first that came to mind so I skipped a couple of books ahead in the Little Black Classics series to this entry by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, although I think his father wrote at least half of it.
Some letters are more musical than others, but this aside this edition was a bit of a mixed bag. On the one end there are the quite boring passages where Mozart and his father quarrel over the expenses of a trip, which is nothing more or less than that and which doesn't make the most thrilling of reads. On the other hand I was quite moved, when his mother falls sick when travelling with Mozart to Paris, and he can only communicate with his father and sisters through letters which take more than a week to arrive. It makes you realise just how spoiled we are nowadays to have instant communication to any place on the globe.
Little Black Classic #51
I was looking for a book with a music theme for a monthly challenge and this was the first that came to mind so I skipped a couple of books ahead in the Little Black Classics series to this entry by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, although I think his father wrote at least half of it.
Some letters are more musical than others, but this aside this edition was a bit of a mixed bag. On the one end there are the quite boring passages where Mozart and his father quarrel over the expenses of a trip, which is nothing more or less than that and which doesn't make the most thrilling of reads. On the other hand I was quite moved, when his mother falls sick when travelling with Mozart to Paris, and he can only communicate with his father and sisters through letters which take more than a week to arrive. It makes you realise just how spoiled we are nowadays to have instant communication to any place on the globe.
Little Black Classic #51
October 4, 2021
Good to know that even Mozart was in the occasional financial trouble, and got heartfelt shit for it from his concerned father.
Also interesting to see that he was sassy to the degree that he wouldn’t do under for (how I imagine, as I’ve never watched a single second of those shows) any member of the cast of ‘Gossip Girl’ or ‘Sex and the City’ to be. This man can be vile.
On a more contrasting note, it is heartbreaking to read the report to his father and sister of the death of Mozart’s mother while travelling together. Due to the nature of letters, the addressees would not receive the letters before days after they were sent. This creates for an intriguing dynamic in matters of such grave emotionality, and especially in the decisions made in the timing of conveyance.
Also interesting to see that he was sassy to the degree that he wouldn’t do under for (how I imagine, as I’ve never watched a single second of those shows) any member of the cast of ‘Gossip Girl’ or ‘Sex and the City’ to be. This man can be vile.
On a more contrasting note, it is heartbreaking to read the report to his father and sister of the death of Mozart’s mother while travelling together. Due to the nature of letters, the addressees would not receive the letters before days after they were sent. This creates for an intriguing dynamic in matters of such grave emotionality, and especially in the decisions made in the timing of conveyance.
March 20, 2017
I picked this up mainly because I recognised Mozart's name; two bucks was a small sum in exchange for some insights into his life and relationship with his father in particular.
While I do know how to play the piano and have taken examinations that test on music history and select composers, it does not entail that I've got all the background needed to understand everything in this volume. In fact, I think only my knowledge of how patronage worked back in the day was of any use with regard to this book, and you don't need any musical qualifications to get that knowledge. Simply put, I'm no expert on Mozart so some of the details were lost on me. Furthermore, my knowledge of the geography of Europe is also lacking, hence I couldn't fully understand Mozart's father's qualms.
The letters contain details about the most mundane matters and illustrate almost typical father-son, or indeed, parent-child dynamics. From there you get a glimpse into what kind of people Mozart the composer and Mozart the father are. The letters are hence devoid of any plot points or intrigue, unless you're familiar with Mozart's travels and are interested in "knowing" Mozart.
It's primarily due to these reasons that I found this volume of the Black Penguin Classics series quite dry.
That said... These letters were never meant to be published, so if you decide to read this slim collection of correspondence, I urge you to keep that in mind.
While I do know how to play the piano and have taken examinations that test on music history and select composers, it does not entail that I've got all the background needed to understand everything in this volume. In fact, I think only my knowledge of how patronage worked back in the day was of any use with regard to this book, and you don't need any musical qualifications to get that knowledge. Simply put, I'm no expert on Mozart so some of the details were lost on me. Furthermore, my knowledge of the geography of Europe is also lacking, hence I couldn't fully understand Mozart's father's qualms.
The letters contain details about the most mundane matters and illustrate almost typical father-son, or indeed, parent-child dynamics. From there you get a glimpse into what kind of people Mozart the composer and Mozart the father are. The letters are hence devoid of any plot points or intrigue, unless you're familiar with Mozart's travels and are interested in "knowing" Mozart.
It's primarily due to these reasons that I found this volume of the Black Penguin Classics series quite dry.
That said... These letters were never meant to be published, so if you decide to read this slim collection of correspondence, I urge you to keep that in mind.
December 20, 2017
Maybe I expected too much. As the title of the book, "My Dearest Father". I would expect something more sentimental and affectionate letter of Mozart between his father. It turns out that I was wrong. It's a short read, but nevertheless, the letter between Mozart and his father sounds rather formal. The letter wrote in a manner more like a notice letter to inform his Father about his journey of Mozart's concert touring around the continental.
December 24, 2020
Interesting, but I want to know more! These letters cover such a small span of time.
December 4, 2023
Wolfgang would have made a wonderful dictator
April 15, 2024
mozart is such a nepo baby
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