Notes On Mozart: 20 Crucial Works

The "Notes on . . ." series by distinguished music critic Conrad Wilson illuminates the music of some of history's greatest composers in relation to their private lives. In each "Notes on . . ." volume Wilson selects twenty crucial works of a given composer, discusses these masterpieces with insight and verve, and explains why these particular works are fundamental to understanding the composer. Permeating these pages are Wilson's vast musical expertise and his colorful, succinct, polished prose style. As a bonus Wilson highlights choice recordings of the music he discusses. Meant for any general reader interested in music, these guidebooks are ideal for dipping into as well as reading straight through. Wilson's explication of Mozart in the present volume casts new light on this celebrated composer. Examining his finances, Wilson shows why Mozart's begging letters were less heartrending than they seem, and he explodes the supposed mystery surrounding Mozart's famous Requiem.