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Mozart Audiobook
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(3.07) - 189 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Realistic, moving, engrossing, and positively brilliant, this biography recreates Mozart, the man and his music, against the background of the world he lived in. For Marcia Davenport, the research and writing of Mozart was truly a labor of love, during which she retraced every journey he made, saw every dwelling (then extant) in which he had ever lived, every theater where his works were first performed, and every library and museum where his manuscripts were then to be seen. In this eloquent work of historical reconstruction, Davenport lets her characters tell their own stories. She builds from Mozart's infancy toward the climactic meeting in 1787 of Mozart, Lorenzo Da Ponte, and Casanova in Prague, when Don Giovanni was being written, to Mozart's tragically early death. The result is a biography of such commanding stature that it has remained unassailable since its publication in 1932.
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"Very enjoyable work by a noted author. I was a little disappointed with her treatment of Mozart's wife, the "silly Stanzi." I thought she deserved better than that."
— Michael (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Gives a vivid and convincing portrait of the child prodigy who developed into the man-genius, a portrait that does not romanticize Mozart too much and leaves the reader convinced of the reality of the figure with whom he has passed through a career of hard work, poverty, neglect, and few (but astounding) triumphs.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Brings a great man to life again.”
— New York Times -
“Marcia Davenport has written a book that deserves the praise it has been given. She has steepered herself in the spirit of the time and has a great love for Mozart, and more than a dilettante’s appreciation of his music. She allows characters to speak for themselves more than many biographers do.”
— Helen Kemp, renowned children’s choir clinician
Mozart Listener Reviews
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" I liked this bio of Mozart. Marcia Davenport does a good job. Lots of actual letters. More about the man, not so much about the actual music. "
— Hope, 6/28/2013 -
" One of the best books I have ever enjoyed! Well-written, and not boring like biographies can be.... "
— Jody, 6/3/2013 -
" I'm not sure that this is actually the specific biography that I read, but the description of the book leads me to believe that it could be. I no longer have the book. I read a biography of Mozart after being infatuated with the movie Amadeus, curious how much of the movie was true to his real life. "
— Iziezi, 3/13/2013 -
" A good biography of mozart (There are a few). "
— Andrew, 12/31/2012 -
" Started out good, getting annoyed with the author's dorky writing. Had high hopes for some culture here, but it's going to be a trial to finish. . . "
— K., 10/8/2012 -
" Excellent biography "
— Yvonne, 9/18/2012 -
" This book was very informative about the life of W.A. Mozart, a world famous composer of the 18th century. I enjoyed reading it. "
— Elijah, 8/23/2012 -
" Davenport's clear and honest portrait of Mozart debunks many of the myths surrounding the composer's life and death, many of them hyped in the film 'Amadeus'. "
— Michael, 8/18/2012 -
" An excellent, very readable, biography of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. "
— Megan, 8/15/2012 -
" Highly entertaining and informative. I always enjoy a good historical read to put composers lives in perspective. "
— Breena, 8/14/2012 -
" Fairly heavy slogging, as I recall (20 years after having read it, or, at least, at it.) "
— Lily, 6/5/2012 -
" This was a great little read. "
— Angela, 1/31/2012 -
" I warned you about the Mozart obssession.....This was a great book. Had no idea it was from 1909. "
— Arlene, 12/3/2011
About Marcia Davenport
Marcia Davenport (1903–1996) was an American author and music critic. She began her writing career on the editorial staff of the New Yorker before writing her first book, Mozart, the first published American biography of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. She went on to become a best selling novelist, and several of her books inspired movies starring some of Hollywood's top names.
About Wanda McCaddon
Wanda McCaddon (d. 2023) narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, sometimes with the pseudonym Nadia May or Donada Peters. She earned the prestigious Audio Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.