The New York Times Book Review, Peggy Constantine
Spaethling writes in the introduction that his goal was to "provide a complete portrait and continuous account of Mozart the musician, Mozart the individual and Mozart the writer," and he has succeeded most admirably.


Book Description
Letters by Mozart in sparkling new translations that capture the flavor of the writing, transmit every nuance, and render every thought faithfully and accurately. What was Mozart really like--wild? sublime? responsible? fun-loving? bright? foul-mouthed? Reading these letters, we learn in his own words that he was all of these and much more. Here is the composer at his most intimate and unguarded, expressing his feelings about life, love, music, and the world around him. For this collection, Robert Spaethling has carefully chosen letters written by Mozart over a span of almost twenty-two years--from his first journey to Italy as a shy teenager to the final months of his life in Vienna. The letters, together with the accompanying introductions, chronicle the composer's life, personal development, and artistic growth. These new translations into English, the first in more than sixty years, are faithful to the original German even to the point of misspellings, which abound in the early correspondence. No effort has been spared to find language as closely equivalent to Mozart's as any translation can be and to clear up references in the letters to people, places, and events. Mozart's Letters, Mozart's Life makes wonderful reading for anyone who has ever loved a work by the composer, from the deceptively simple Eine kleine Nachtmusik to the towering, magnificent Requiem.


Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German


About the Author
Robert Spaethling, professor emeritus of German at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, is the author of Music and Mozart in the Life of Goethe.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

What was Mozart really like -- wild? sublime? responsible? fun-loving? bright? foul-mouthed? Reading these sparkling new translations of Mozart's letters, we learn in his own words that he was all of these and much more. Here is the composer at his most intimate and unguarded, expressing his feelings about life, love, music, and the world around him.

For this collection, Robert Spaethling has carefully chosen more than 275 letters and post-scripts written by Mozart over a span of almost twenty-two years -- from his first journey to Italy, when he was just shy of fourteen, to the final months of his life in Vienna. The letters are supplied with introductions and annotations to place them within a biographical context and to offer a chronicle of the composer's life, personal development, and artistic growth.

These new translations into English, the first in more than sixty years, are faithful to the original German even to the point of misspellings, which abound in the early correspondence. Spaethling has spared no effort to capture the flavor of the writing, transmit its every nuance, and render every thought accurately, in language as closely equivalent to Mozart's as any translation can be. Copious annotations identify the individuals named (and misnamed) by Mozart, supply necessary details for understanding his references to places and events, and provide linguistic details about the originals that would otherwise pass unnoticed.

Mozart's Letters, Mozart's Life is a book for anyone who has ever loved a work by Mozart, from the deceptively simple Eine kleine Nachtmusik to the complex and towering Requiem.

FROM THE CRITICS

Booknews

In these new translationsthe first in some 60 yearsof 275- plus letters written over two decades, Spaethling (emeritus, German, U. of Massachusetts) retains his idiosyncratic spelling and offers Mozart lovers insights into the composer's artistic and personal journeys (1756-91). Includes an introduction, annotations, a map of Mozart's Europe, a chronology, travel itinerary, and illustrations of Salzburg, Mozart, his family, and letters. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Peggy Constantine - The New York Times Book Review

[A] wonderful collection that gives Mozart a voice as a son, husband, brother and friend...Spaethling writes in the introduction that his goal was to ''provide a complete portrait and continuous account of Mozart the musician, Mozart the individual and Mozart the writer,'' and he has succeeded most admirably.

Anthony Pryer - Times Literary Supplement