What do you think?
Rate this book
Mozart: His Life & Music
Sourcebooks MediaFusion and Naxos proudly present the life and works of Mozart, complete with two audio CDs and an exclusive website.
In this lively and accessible biography, Jeremy Siepmann reminds us of a remarkable natural talent who was, however, all too human. Read the text and listen to two CDs containing a carefully chosen cross-section of Mozart's music. Readers also gain access to an exclusive website that offers the musical works in full, the music of Mozart's father, a detailed timeline and more. This revolutionary biography utilizes traditional and new media to provide a uniquely rounded portrait of the composer himself.
Naxos is the world's leading classical music label and provider of classical music over the Internet at www.naxos.com.
In this lively and accessible biography, Jeremy Siepmann reminds us of a remarkable natural talent who was, however, all too human. Read the text and listen to two CDs containing a carefully chosen cross-section of Mozart's music. Readers also gain access to an exclusive website that offers the musical works in full, the music of Mozart's father, a detailed timeline and more. This revolutionary biography utilizes traditional and new media to provide a uniquely rounded portrait of the composer himself.
Naxos is the world's leading classical music label and provider of classical music over the Internet at www.naxos.com.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2003
4 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
Jeremy Siepmann
44 books15 followersJeremy Siepmann (16 January 1942 – 6 April 2016), born in America and living in Britain for most of his career, was a broadcaster and writer on music.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 22, 2025
Music and text combined brilliantly!
Informative, educational, entertaining, breathtaking, moving and (fill in your favourite superlative here!) What an absolutely brilliant use of the audio book medium to combine a book and music into a single format.
We have a wonderfully narrated (and extremely well acted) story of Mozart as a man - the genius that was apparent as early as the tender age of 4; the ruthless, indeed heartbreaking exploitation of that genius by his father Leopold; the equally heartbreaking rejection of his unconditional love of his sister, Maria Anna (often called "Nannerl"); his astonishing ability to teach himself the violin to a level that most professional musicians would only dream of (but without his parents even being aware that he was doing so); his rather bizarre occupation with scatological humour; his insane ability to compose the most complex masterworks in his head and then, virtually as an afterthought, to commit them to paper only so musicians could actually play them; his slavish love of elegant clothing and a life well beyond his financial means; the influence he felt from Johann Christian Bach, a friend and musical mentor; his friendship with Haydn and his insecure belief that he could never measure up to Haydn's skills as a musician; the political controversy that Mozart courted in his writing of the opera Cosi Fan Tutte; and, of course, the lifelong devotion to his loving wife, Constanze.
Then there was his prolific, almost miraculous output of some of the finest music that the world has ever been granted the opportunity to hear - operas, symphonies, etudes, quartets, sonatas, choral works, chamber music, divertimenti, concerti, masses. Cutting edge music such as a tone poem for 13 wind instruments in seven movements that extended to almost an hour in length defied current convention and re-wrote the musical rule books as to what was acceptable and beautiful. He even wrote music for instruments such as the glass harmonica (invented by Benjamin Franklin) that was beautiful to a degree that the instrument was simply incapable of reproducing. This wonderful little audio book is absolutely chock-a-block full of samples of music - short enough and abundant enough to give you an almost dizzying sense of the scope of Mozart's work, yet long enough to leave you with a smile on your face and a toe-tapping sense of musical satisfaction.
If anyone had asked me who my favourite classical composer was before I listened to The Life and Works of Mozart, I would have readily answered that Mozart was my man. But now ... this brilliant audio work has made me painfully aware that I have only begun to scratch the surface of Mozart's repertoire. I've got an enjoyable bit of work in front of me to delve deeper into my favourite composer's music!
I must say I'm looking forward to more CDs in this series! Goodness knows there are lots to choose from - Haydn, Chopin, Bach, Liszt, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Schubert and more! I'm thrilled to have discovered such a gem.
Paul Weiss
Informative, educational, entertaining, breathtaking, moving and (fill in your favourite superlative here!) What an absolutely brilliant use of the audio book medium to combine a book and music into a single format.
We have a wonderfully narrated (and extremely well acted) story of Mozart as a man - the genius that was apparent as early as the tender age of 4; the ruthless, indeed heartbreaking exploitation of that genius by his father Leopold; the equally heartbreaking rejection of his unconditional love of his sister, Maria Anna (often called "Nannerl"); his astonishing ability to teach himself the violin to a level that most professional musicians would only dream of (but without his parents even being aware that he was doing so); his rather bizarre occupation with scatological humour; his insane ability to compose the most complex masterworks in his head and then, virtually as an afterthought, to commit them to paper only so musicians could actually play them; his slavish love of elegant clothing and a life well beyond his financial means; the influence he felt from Johann Christian Bach, a friend and musical mentor; his friendship with Haydn and his insecure belief that he could never measure up to Haydn's skills as a musician; the political controversy that Mozart courted in his writing of the opera Cosi Fan Tutte; and, of course, the lifelong devotion to his loving wife, Constanze.
Then there was his prolific, almost miraculous output of some of the finest music that the world has ever been granted the opportunity to hear - operas, symphonies, etudes, quartets, sonatas, choral works, chamber music, divertimenti, concerti, masses. Cutting edge music such as a tone poem for 13 wind instruments in seven movements that extended to almost an hour in length defied current convention and re-wrote the musical rule books as to what was acceptable and beautiful. He even wrote music for instruments such as the glass harmonica (invented by Benjamin Franklin) that was beautiful to a degree that the instrument was simply incapable of reproducing. This wonderful little audio book is absolutely chock-a-block full of samples of music - short enough and abundant enough to give you an almost dizzying sense of the scope of Mozart's work, yet long enough to leave you with a smile on your face and a toe-tapping sense of musical satisfaction.
If anyone had asked me who my favourite classical composer was before I listened to The Life and Works of Mozart, I would have readily answered that Mozart was my man. But now ... this brilliant audio work has made me painfully aware that I have only begun to scratch the surface of Mozart's repertoire. I've got an enjoyable bit of work in front of me to delve deeper into my favourite composer's music!
I must say I'm looking forward to more CDs in this series! Goodness knows there are lots to choose from - Haydn, Chopin, Bach, Liszt, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Schubert and more! I'm thrilled to have discovered such a gem.
Paul Weiss
June 29, 2012
Mozart His Life & Music is not your usual biography.
Reading this is akin to taking a college course on Mozart, without having to go to class. Yet having your favorite profess at chairside.
Six things about the book which struck my fancy were:
1. Each aspect of Motzart's compositions are presented separately: keyboard music, symphonies and concertos, theater and opera, requiems and choral music.
2. His tours are mapped out town by town traveling
a.- by coach (like traveling economy if Lufthansa had existed in the 18th c.),
b.-by horse (not your usual rent-a-car)with an entourage of mommy, daddy and sister.
c. - walking, really??
3. Many excerpts from letters , his, his daddy, sister-in-law and others, writing wheter musical compositions or letters, was a great therapy for Mozart. More than once it was mentioned that:
When composing, Mozart never had to labor over anything, compositions simply flowed from his brain as though he were simply a medium, a conduit. (unlike Beethoven, who wrestled and struggled over almost everything) Mozart had not only a phenomial memory (unlike myself who cannot find my glasses or care keys several times during the course of a day) but had an exraordinarily organized mind (I'm becoming envious), and that he did virtually all his composing in his head. Writing it out was no more that prrinting out a document from a computer. (the thought of that just astounds me.)
4. Plummeting income forced the Mozarts to move to the outskirts of Vienna where the living was cheaper. For many reasons beyond Mozart's control the family fell rapidly into debt. Austria was drawn into the war betwen Rusia and the Ottoman Empire, imperial subsidies for the arts quickly fell by the wayside (think 10 years of paying for Iraq &
Afghanistan, and you get the picture). Theaters were closed; opera companies were disbanded. 1788 riots in Vienna, shortage of brad and political unrest; yet Mozart had a tendency to overspend (what he could have done with a handful of credit cards).
5. Ten years earlier, 1778 Mozart first heard the Mannheim Orchestra, he wrote to daddy, in Salsburg, Oh, if only we had clarinets too. You have no idea of the glorious effct of a symphony withflutes, oboes, and clarinets....six years later in Serenade in B flat for 13 Wind Instruments, K.361, he created a marvel of tone painting. The autumnal Clarinet Conceerto in A, K622, finished in October 1791 when Mozart was terminally ill; not only his last concerto, but his last major completed work.
6. Then there are always the crtitics (much like the nightly new blips between the Democrats and Repbulicans hot air like our 2nd heat wave this June of 2012) Goethe, who had to work at appreciating Mozart, actually preferred Cimaros. To put Cimarosa on a par with Mozart is like putting Agatha Christie on a par with Tolstoy. (but then Tolstoy said Beethoven had no talent - be wary of great writers' (and politicians) musical pronouncements. (Ya think?)
AND then ....WAIT THERE'S MORE.....
included with the book are 2 CDs of music spanning Motzart's career. 25 in all, which are highlighted in the borders as you read through the biography. Better yet, at the back of the book are annotations of the CD tracks giving informative descripts. So you can read the commentary then listen to the selection. (How cool is that!!)
A glossary of musical terms - often goes into specific detail: Fugue, Sonata Form and Variation being the lengthiest
The 18th Century Background is given with an Overview and topics covering Science and Technology, Religion, Ideas, The Arts, Arcitecture, and of course Music.
Personalities a section listing people touching Motzart's life.
Gotta close now, want to go back and re-read some parts that I find particularly interesting....just about the whole book. Much like the Bible; once yu finished you go back and read it again.
Hey you've been spared - there are 16027 characters left that I haven't used.
Reading this is akin to taking a college course on Mozart, without having to go to class. Yet having your favorite profess at chairside.
Six things about the book which struck my fancy were:
1. Each aspect of Motzart's compositions are presented separately: keyboard music, symphonies and concertos, theater and opera, requiems and choral music.
2. His tours are mapped out town by town traveling
a.- by coach (like traveling economy if Lufthansa had existed in the 18th c.),
b.-by horse (not your usual rent-a-car)with an entourage of mommy, daddy and sister.
c. - walking, really??
3. Many excerpts from letters , his, his daddy, sister-in-law and others, writing wheter musical compositions or letters, was a great therapy for Mozart. More than once it was mentioned that:
When composing, Mozart never had to labor over anything, compositions simply flowed from his brain as though he were simply a medium, a conduit. (unlike Beethoven, who wrestled and struggled over almost everything) Mozart had not only a phenomial memory (unlike myself who cannot find my glasses or care keys several times during the course of a day) but had an exraordinarily organized mind (I'm becoming envious), and that he did virtually all his composing in his head. Writing it out was no more that prrinting out a document from a computer. (the thought of that just astounds me.)
4. Plummeting income forced the Mozarts to move to the outskirts of Vienna where the living was cheaper. For many reasons beyond Mozart's control the family fell rapidly into debt. Austria was drawn into the war betwen Rusia and the Ottoman Empire, imperial subsidies for the arts quickly fell by the wayside (think 10 years of paying for Iraq &
Afghanistan, and you get the picture). Theaters were closed; opera companies were disbanded. 1788 riots in Vienna, shortage of brad and political unrest; yet Mozart had a tendency to overspend (what he could have done with a handful of credit cards).
5. Ten years earlier, 1778 Mozart first heard the Mannheim Orchestra, he wrote to daddy, in Salsburg, Oh, if only we had clarinets too. You have no idea of the glorious effct of a symphony withflutes, oboes, and clarinets....six years later in Serenade in B flat for 13 Wind Instruments, K.361, he created a marvel of tone painting. The autumnal Clarinet Conceerto in A, K622, finished in October 1791 when Mozart was terminally ill; not only his last concerto, but his last major completed work.
6. Then there are always the crtitics (much like the nightly new blips between the Democrats and Repbulicans hot air like our 2nd heat wave this June of 2012) Goethe, who had to work at appreciating Mozart, actually preferred Cimaros. To put Cimarosa on a par with Mozart is like putting Agatha Christie on a par with Tolstoy. (but then Tolstoy said Beethoven had no talent - be wary of great writers' (and politicians) musical pronouncements. (Ya think?)
AND then ....WAIT THERE'S MORE.....
included with the book are 2 CDs of music spanning Motzart's career. 25 in all, which are highlighted in the borders as you read through the biography. Better yet, at the back of the book are annotations of the CD tracks giving informative descripts. So you can read the commentary then listen to the selection. (How cool is that!!)
A glossary of musical terms - often goes into specific detail: Fugue, Sonata Form and Variation being the lengthiest
The 18th Century Background is given with an Overview and topics covering Science and Technology, Religion, Ideas, The Arts, Arcitecture, and of course Music.
Personalities a section listing people touching Motzart's life.
Gotta close now, want to go back and re-read some parts that I find particularly interesting....just about the whole book. Much like the Bible; once yu finished you go back and read it again.
Hey you've been spared - there are 16027 characters left that I haven't used.
March 11, 2018
Once again, a story told in "letters". Although technically this is a biographical account, it feel's much like a novel, with its chronological narrative of both Wolfgang and Leopold Mozart's life; told in great lengths through written correspondences between them. These letters reveal both a surprising disposition and character in both, and a seldom recognized indifference and practicality to Wolfgang in his later years toward personal relationships. It also casts a strong shadow of the domination that a father commanded over his son; his unbridled attempts to continually impose guilt and remorse on the "miracle" he sired, and the scars that the young prodigy would later be forced to wear during his successful, but brief adulthood.
Included in this volume are CD's of Mozart's work that add an extra dimension to his story; providing insights into the technical aspects of his compositions; explained in alternating segments through the book. Overall, this an interesting read if it is a subject that attracts a parochial or historical interest.
Included in this volume are CD's of Mozart's work that add an extra dimension to his story; providing insights into the technical aspects of his compositions; explained in alternating segments through the book. Overall, this an interesting read if it is a subject that attracts a parochial or historical interest.
June 6, 2018
Anyone who has seen the play of the film, Amadeus, thinks of Mozart as something of an idiot. This biography indicates that, although one could find examples of foolishness in some letters, there was much more to this renowned composer. Another excellent musical biography, with excellent narration, both the author and the others who read the letters.
April 23, 2025
Bro's a genius
April 2, 2013
I've read four other Mozart biographies and this had a few interesting tidbits I had never seen before. It was an enjoyable read, however I felt that the organization of the chapters was a bit confusing. Between episodes of the continuing story of Mozart's life we are treated to history and music appreciation lessons. I felt these chapters were better left separated from the biography portion of the book.
The author notes that Mozart enjoyed writing both music and letters-- there is a great collection of Mozart's letters called Mozart: The Man and the Artist Revealed in His Own Words that would make a nice companion to this book. Another, more in depth work about Mozart is Jane Glover's Mozart's Women, which is a very detailed insight into Mozart's relationships.
The author notes that Mozart enjoyed writing both music and letters-- there is a great collection of Mozart's letters called Mozart: The Man and the Artist Revealed in His Own Words that would make a nice companion to this book. Another, more in depth work about Mozart is Jane Glover's Mozart's Women, which is a very detailed insight into Mozart's relationships.
June 9, 2011
Another great job by Jeremy Siepmann! After giving up on another Mozart book (Holmes), I found this quite readable, enjoyable, and edifying.
The combination of music CDs that are referenced throughout the book really enhanced the experience.
I have a renewed appreciation of Mozart, the man and composer. However, I think I will now always feel a tinge of sadness when listening to his music. His father, while raising a genius, did some real damage to his son.
The combination of music CDs that are referenced throughout the book really enhanced the experience.
I have a renewed appreciation of Mozart, the man and composer. However, I think I will now always feel a tinge of sadness when listening to his music. His father, while raising a genius, did some real damage to his son.
August 26, 2008
The author did a good job talking about Mozart's pieces and then it was great to listen to them as I learned about them. It was sad to learn that Mozart desired greatly to be loved for himself--not for his music. The author does a good job talking about him professionally and personally.
August 7, 2020
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Life and Works by Jeremy Siepmann is part of a series by this author on the lives of the great classical composers. Always, always read (listen to) the audio book because the story of their lives is interspersed with samples of their best known works planted in the appropriate time of their composing careers; earlier works are found in the earlier part of the book and later works as the book describes their later years in life. I have read/listened to about six or seven of these so far and each is a delight first as a break from my usual heavier reads on war, politics, Holocaust, etc., and second because we should all take time to enjoy some incredibly beautiful music to counteract our hectic lives of trying to save the world and humanity from itself. With respect to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, having seen the movie, Amadeus, and read several books about him, I still learned more about him from this relatively short book. Recommended heartily for everyone.
August 30, 2017
It's a shame words like genius are overused so much, because it doesn't leave a word strong enough to describe people like W. A. Mozart.
He was a funny, arrogant, difficult, and probably quite a weird person, who wrote music when he was five years old that would be some kind of magnum opus for most normal musicians. WHEN HE WAS FIVE YEARS OLD.
This is a nice introduction to some of the greatest music ever written. He must have burned very bright before he died at 31. Who knows if there'll ever be another like him.
Some of his more famous works like Eine Kleine Nacht Musik aren't touched upon. Before I listened to this book, I dismissed that piece as kitsch, over played and maybe even a bit annoying. But now I hear it in a new way and I love it.
He was a funny, arrogant, difficult, and probably quite a weird person, who wrote music when he was five years old that would be some kind of magnum opus for most normal musicians. WHEN HE WAS FIVE YEARS OLD.
This is a nice introduction to some of the greatest music ever written. He must have burned very bright before he died at 31. Who knows if there'll ever be another like him.
Some of his more famous works like Eine Kleine Nacht Musik aren't touched upon. Before I listened to this book, I dismissed that piece as kitsch, over played and maybe even a bit annoying. But now I hear it in a new way and I love it.
August 19, 2025
I was expecting more of the "Life" aspect than the "Music" but the author's take on the musician's various pieces are well put. So many of Mozart's pieces are discussed and opined upon. I appreciate that they are provided in context as to what point in life WAM is in at the time of writing and release, it creates a narrative.
February 8, 2019
Too much focus on Mozart's bawdy letters, making it not suitable for kids and less worthy of attention or study. By selecting only a few excerpts of someone's voluminous writing, anyone can be made to look however an editor wants.
May 24, 2022
There was nothing bad about this Mozart biography. It's written for the person who knows nothing. The audiobook comes with a great number of musical examples which are of course great music.
I've concluded that I've read enough biographies of Mozart to last me. I didn't really need this one.
I've concluded that I've read enough biographies of Mozart to last me. I didn't really need this one.
Read
March 17, 2025Repeats the myth that Mozart was buried in a mass grave, so not sure whether to trust any of the rest of the information contained herein. It was a smooth and entertaining read, though.
April 6, 2009
Ever since I saw the movie "Amadeus," I've been wanting to read a good biography of Mozart. However, this isn't it. I had high hopes for this book, as it came with two CDs of Mozart's works that were referenced throughout the book. Unfortunately, I found the practice of going from work to work to be laborious, as the author would sometimes reference 3 works in a row, so I had to either listen to each one for only a minute or so before moving on or take 10 minutes out of my reading time to listen to each one in full. I usually chose the former. Fortunately, the works are referenced over and over throughout the book, so I did get to come back to most of them at least once.
The organization of this book was kind of clunky. The author would write a chapter about Mozart's life, and then a chapter (called "Interludes") in which he would discuss some aspect of Mozart's work; for example, there is an interlude on Mozart's sonatas, and another on his chamber music, etc. I understand what the author was trying to do, but it didn't work for me. I guess I prefer things to be more linear. Also, I found it frustrating that the author would reference works that weren't included on the CD. I mean, I understand that he couldn't possibly include everything that he wanted to mention in the book on the CDs, but it was irritating because he would say something about a particular piece being one of Mozart's most important works and then of course it was nowhere to be found on the CD.
As far as the actual content of the book, it was enjoyable. The author doesn't have a really engaging writing style, but it got the job done. He references a lot of letters written by Mozart, his father, and others, so that kind of made it more interesting. I was really interested in the relationship between Mozart and his father. I don't think this was something that was really touched on in "Amadeus." But it's been awhile since I saw it, so I could be wrong.
I didn't spend much time on the website. Unfortunately, I didn't really have time. Maybe there are some interesting resources there.
The author of the book mentions that Mozart's wife's second husband, Georg Nikolaus Nissen, wrote a biography of Mozart in 1828 that is "the most substantial biography to date." Hmm... wonder if I can find a copy...
The organization of this book was kind of clunky. The author would write a chapter about Mozart's life, and then a chapter (called "Interludes") in which he would discuss some aspect of Mozart's work; for example, there is an interlude on Mozart's sonatas, and another on his chamber music, etc. I understand what the author was trying to do, but it didn't work for me. I guess I prefer things to be more linear. Also, I found it frustrating that the author would reference works that weren't included on the CD. I mean, I understand that he couldn't possibly include everything that he wanted to mention in the book on the CDs, but it was irritating because he would say something about a particular piece being one of Mozart's most important works and then of course it was nowhere to be found on the CD.
As far as the actual content of the book, it was enjoyable. The author doesn't have a really engaging writing style, but it got the job done. He references a lot of letters written by Mozart, his father, and others, so that kind of made it more interesting. I was really interested in the relationship between Mozart and his father. I don't think this was something that was really touched on in "Amadeus." But it's been awhile since I saw it, so I could be wrong.
I didn't spend much time on the website. Unfortunately, I didn't really have time. Maybe there are some interesting resources there.
The author of the book mentions that Mozart's wife's second husband, Georg Nikolaus Nissen, wrote a biography of Mozart in 1828 that is "the most substantial biography to date." Hmm... wonder if I can find a copy...
December 30, 2016
The book is a very interesting biography of Mozart's extravagant life. It does well in linking each composition with significant events throughout his life. I had no idea his sister was also an extraordinary musician. One interesting point was that Mozart liked Benjamin Franklin's glass armonica so much, that he composed what is considered the greatest composition for that instrument. I wish the book had covered his relations with Antonio Salieri. Mozart's last vocals were humming the drum beats from the Requiem that he never finished composing before his death.
January 7, 2015
This is the third I've listened to in this series. They are all excellent with a good mix of interesting biography and music excerpts. I'm coming to find out that you apparently can't be a musical genius unless you have a very troubled relationship with your father.
November 30, 2015
This was pretty interesting. I knew nothing about Mozart except that he had a cool middle name. His father was definitely a "Hollywood Mom" type of parent. The book was a little choppy though, but I'm still glad that I read it.
April 16, 2007
Was für ein Komponist!
July 16, 2011
It's an interesting book about Mozart. There is a lot of information about his music. I don't have a lot of knowledge about music, but I still find it very interesting.
September 4, 2009
Great audiobook. Really brings out the relationship between father and son.
Also - I realized there is a ton of Mozart music that I haven't listened to yet!
Also - I realized there is a ton of Mozart music that I haven't listened to yet!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews