Coffee with Mozart

Coffee with...

by Julian Rushton, John Tavener (Foreword)

Imagine: Mozart, near death, positioned at just the point when he can reflect on the entirety of his relatively short, but amazingly productive life. Julian Rushton, an Emeritus Professor of Music and author of the New Grove Guide to Mozart and His Music, takes us to him at just that time. The former child genius discusses his upbringing as a wunderkind, his contacts with patrons and fellow musicians, his views on his own works, his method of composing, his teaching and performing, and his life, loves, and the world outside music as well.

Genres: Music, History, Nonfiction, Biography

144 pages, Hardcover

Published September 1, 2007

Reviews

[Suad Shamma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mozart lived a very interesting and exciting life, and this fictional interview/sit down with Mozart definitely conveyed that. It sheds light on different aspects of his life, but also dispels some of the more common rumors/gossip that we may have heard or read about Mozart. Interesting for sure.

[gabriele · Rating 3 out of 5]

j’ai mis trèèès longtemps à terminer ce petit bouquin mais en fait c’est quelque chose de très chouette et rapide à lire. Une formule un peu fantaisiste et cool pour découvrir un peu qui était Mozart.

[Fun Ghoul · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gerçekten Epsilon'dan çıkan iyi bir kitaba denk gelemeyeceğim sanırım.

[Mayda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This unusual dramatization explores the life Mozart presented as an interview in a coffee shop. Nearing the end of his life, ill and in debt, Mozart answers the interesting questions posed to him. Readers will get snapshot view of Mozart, from his childhood on through his short life, with death claiming him at age 35. He speaks about his music, what he liked and what he didn’t care for. He talks about composing to earn a living, a rather poor one at that, and how he wrote to please the royalty rather than himself. It’s a novel look at an extraordinary musician.

[Luis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting events in Mozart's life.
The book was written as a friendly chat, offering an interesting perspective of events during Wolfgang's short life.

[Duckpondwithoutducks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very short biography of Mozart, written in an interview style, as if the author was actually able to sit down with Mozart near the end of his life and ask him all sorts of questions.

[Tonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an interesting read. I like that it is all based on the biography of Mozart, yet written in a coffee house conversational way that was entertaining, as well as informative. It was like reading an NPR interview transcript.

[gramakri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure how much a lay person will appreciate this book. But Western Classical music lovers may find this book an interesting read.

More about this book @
http://bookwormsrecos.blogspot.in/201...

[Jim Booth · Rating 2 out of 5]

See the review at my home page.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am generally unfamiliar with Mozart's work, so got very little out of this one.

Acquired Dec 25, 2007
Gift from Ken and Ginny

[Tanishka · Rating 3 out of 5]

How can music know the difference?