Introducing Mozart (Famous Composers Series)

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Summary: Introducing young readers to the music genius of Mozart
Review: By the time Mozart was 20 he was one of the most exciting composers in Europe. He had already accomplished more than 99.9% of us do in an entire lifetime. Mozart's true musical genius was not recognized until after he died, but the extent of is talent is detailed in this juvenile biography of Roland Vernon. This story begins with a recognition of his genius and the more than 600 musical works he composed, then tells the story of the child genius who became a famous musical prodigy and then the darling of Vienna. The book is comprised of two page spreads, illustrated mostly with historic paintings and drawings along with contemporary art by Ian Andrew. The back of the book contains a Time Chart and a Glossary, which covers not only vocabulary terms like "concerto" and "libertine". For those young readers who have seen the film "Amadeus," Vernon provides a final sidebar that pointedly separates fact from fiction. Introducing Mozart is part of a series that looks at the influences and historical events that shaped the lives of the great composers from Bach and Beethoven to Stravinsky and Gershwin. This volume does indeed put the composer's life in the context of the revolutionary times in which he lived and composed his music. Final suggestion: while reading this biography of Mozart listening to his music is a good idea. There are several decent "hits" collection of Mozart's music readily available and you will find that most of those tracks on such albums are specifically mentioned in the pages of this volume.