Product Description

An introduction to the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart explores the essentials of his work, examining his place in the aristocratic society of the late eighteenth century, and discusses his life and death.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1329257 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780743244046
• Condition: USED - VERY GOOD
• Notes:
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From Publishers Weekly
Harris introduces readers to Mozart, writing colorfully about the composer's life and explicating some of his best known works.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
As the title suggests, this is a guide to the music of Mozart for the uninitiated. Harris, who has created music appreciation programs for CBS radio, offers an easy-going and infectiously enthusiastic text. But there are two serious flaws: first, the book is replete with the worst sort of popularizing and mythicization (e.g., an interval of a major third expresses "confidence and joy"; "in the Romantic era meter was seen as a hindrance to . . . deep emotion"; "for many composers after Mozart, form was not that important"). Second, even the most ardent novice might be discouraged by the formidable amount of space devoted to technical analysis. Harris deserves credit for trying to communicate his love for the subject and for introducing musical analysis at an introductory study, but the work's gross simplifications foster inaccurate and fanciful notions, and the target audience might be put off by the long stretches of often arguable analysis.
- Daniel Fermon, Museum of Modern Art Lib., New York
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
Harris, head of variety programming for CBS radio, tries hard- -with very iffy results--to provide unsophisticated listeners with an in-depth introduction to Mozart's life and work. After some predictable opening remarks about Mozart's genius and personality (a ``titan charming the gods''), Harris leaps right into matters of musical theory: the basics of rhythm, meter, melody, harmony; the sonata-allegro form as exemplified by Eine Kleine Nachtmusik; close-textual score-reading. (``Do you see that C sharp that sneaks in at the end of bar 21 in the first violin part?'') Most nonmusicians will be lost, even if they listen (as directed) to a recording while reading. Consistently, in fact, Harris mixes overdemanding musicology with a patronizing tone as he offers close-ups of a half-dozen major instrumental works: ``Don't be frightened by a large work like a concerto....Think of this opening to the piece as if it were the opening to a TV mini- series.'' The detailed discussions of the great operas--Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cosi Fan Tutte, The Magic Flute--are less technical and more involving, though not particularly fresh or forceful. And the chunks of biography scattered throughout are modestly entertaining and informative, if occasionally simplistic and graceless. (Gratuitously, one of Mozart's most graphic scatological letters is quoted in full.) With, as an appendix, brief appreciations of Harris's ``personal selection of Mozart's Top Fifty works'': an only sporadically effective music-appreciation class--often too dense for beginners, too spoon-fed for serious music-lovers. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

It hit the right note for me
I found this book useful as a homeschooling mother attempting to expose my children to classical music and make sense, for myself, of a wide world for which I haven't (up till now) been able to find a decent map. I had eight years (years ago) of piano lessons, very little listening experience during the time I took them, and definitely nobody ever sat down and said things like "listen how the piano comes in here, plays for a few bars, and then you expect it to break into the second major theme of this piece--but Mozart plays a little joke here, he starts out playing it in such-and-such a minor key which isn't really substantial enough to go on for too long, so then he gets down to business and changes it back into a major key."  (I'm paraphrasing Harris here.)  Could I say I've been listening-challenged most of my life and I really do need someone to spoon-feed me with some of those details?  Mozart, for me, was nice to listen to and got me through eight hours of labour, but I've never seen one of his concertos written out blow-by-blow.

I also like this book as an introduction to listening to classical music in general.  What to listen for, as the title says.  Why on earth this concerto is supposed to be better than that one.  Why Mozart decided to do this for twenty bars instead of something completely different.  I liked Harris's comment that the Piano Concerto #21 would give you--if you listen carefully enough--enough listening for a whole lifetime.  (The same idea as being able to read Jane Austen repeatedly and enjoy her books more each time even though you already know what happens.)

Maybe some *would* find Harris's descriptions either overly technical (I didn't think so, though I do know some terminology from music theory, like "dominant" and "tonic" which does help with what he's saying) or patronizing (if you naturally know how to listen to what he's doing) as the review says.  However, for me (as the mom and rather ignorant "teacher" here), he seemed to hit the right note.

P.S.  I think the Kirkus Review should have said Harris worked for the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), not for CBS.