Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyment marred by unexpected pop psychology
Review: Solomon's book was my first foray into a major biography about a classical composer. I chose it because it came highly recommended, and Mozart was the first composer that I felt I needed to study in depth. I entered into it hoping to find factual information as well as some interpretation.While I think that Solomon's writing overall is very enjoyable (we aren't bothered with descriptions of furniture layouts, as in A. Scott Berg's "Lindbergh") what troubles me about this book is his use of Freudian psychoanalysis. Now, I have studied Freud, and I find many of his ideas very interesting, but I have been consistently disappointed with efforts to impose some of these concepts where they do not belong. Solomon does this to Mozart, and I just didn't buy it at all. What particularly troubled me was the fact that Solomon never explains what he's doing. It would make sense for him to define the critical tools he's going to use on Mozart, and explain WHY he thinks it is valid or important to examine Mozart this way. Instead, he just launches into it, expecting that the reader takes these concepts for granted. I'm sorry but I do not believe that a primary instinct of any given male from any place and period in time is an overwhelming desire to return to his mother's womb. If you do- then you will enjoy Solomon's book. Rather labored, I think, is his definition of the "adagio/andante archetype," in which a large number of Mozart's slow movements can be read as a need to resolve tension. Solomon defines this tension as a feeling of loss, of being ousted from paradise, in short, of seperation from one's mother. Ugh. I respect Solomon's efforts, certainly, and don't blame him for expressing his feelings about Mozart's music this way, but when I studied his examples and his arguments it didn't follow through. They can be made, but I don't think there's any more truth to his theory than there is to my abstract, subjective experience of music that I find beautiful or moving. The rest of the book, though, is very good. I don't mind where Solomon speculates about things, because he's usually forthcoming about the lack of proof. For instance, it is suggested that Franz Anton Mesmer (inventor of the glass harmonica!) had offered Mozart a good position in Vienna several years before Mozart actually went (when he was trying so hard to attain a good position), but that Leopold had buried the letter so his son wouldn't leave Salzburg. That's really interesting to think about, and there's more where that came from, not to mention a complete list of Mozart's works by K. number. I'd recommend getting yourself a nice collection of good recordings, and Neal Zaslaw's "Compleat Mozart" to start off with. Give this book a try, but be warned. While not as preposterous as "Amadeus," it shares some of that film's creative license. Both have their good points. And if you do buy into Solomon's theories, then you will enjoy this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Mozart's own life experience + immense talent = Great Music
Review: Some psychology, some musicology, some history and a bit of accounting combine to create a fascinating biography of the man, separating Mozart from the myths that have grown and survived about him. After reading the book, I immediately became re-acquainted with many Mozart compositions, listening to them with new insight and pleasure.
Rating: 
Summary: surronds the life of the famous composer.
Review: The book, Mozart:a life surronds the life of the famous composer. It starts out with his father,Leopold, to after his death. In the chapter entitled "Mozart In Love" it introduced me to a different Mozart. Over all, besides a few bad words and bawdy sentences,I enjoyed the book greatly. It is a great biography and gives you in dept information. Note*this book is'nt really appropiate for anyone under the age of 15, due some sex related subjects.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: There are several other reviews in this space that detail the virtues of this book. I simply want to add my voice to that chorus. Individual chapters, like Trouble in Paradise, are worth the cost of the book. This chapter completely reoriented my thinking about the andante movements of the piano sonatas. I will never hear them in the same way again. This is a must-have book for Mozart lovers.
Rating: 
Summary: should be Mozart ¿ A Psychoanalysis
Review: This book should be titled "Mozart - A Psychoanalysis" The book has some strong points - a good analysis of musical style with many examples (if you can't play them on a piano at least tap out the rhythms to get an idea of what he was trying to do) and details about Mozart's dirty letters and fondness for writing backwards. He also makes a good case for Mozart having good earnings. Some of these things are probably difficult to find elsewhere. However it leaves out some extraordinary things, including Mozart's attitude toward Salieri - and vice-versa, meeting Voltaire and Beethoven, and much of the political climate. The author drones on with page after page of psychobabble that serves to over-exhaust both the subject and the reader. For example, the following run-on sentence (one of many in the book) occurs five (!) pages into a continuous set of statements about musical imagery: "An argument can be made, however, that in the last analysis we bring to the entire continuum of such (anxious mental) states derivatives of feelings having their origin in early stages of our lives, and in particular the preverbal state of symbiotic fusion of infant and mother, a matrix that constitutes an infancy-Eden of unsurpassable beauty but also a state completely vulnerable to terrors of separation, loss, and even fears of potential annihilation, a state that inevitably terminates in parting, which even under the most favorable circumstances leaves a residue of grief and melancholy, engendering a desire - wrapped in the likelihood of further disillusionment - to rediscover anew the sensations of undifferentiated fusion with a nurturing caretaker." That was just ONE sentence! The author then appears to summarize the argument, at which point the reader emits a sigh of relief then turns the page: only to be confronted by two more pages of psychology before the author then spends several more pages applying the argument to several musical works. The reader gets treated to several whole chapters of analysis of Mozart's emotional mind, emotional relationships with relatives, physical attributes - and what emotions they cause. There is a WHOLE chapter devoted to the fact that Mozart temporarily altered his middle name to "Adam" when he signed his marriage documents! I'm not kidding. The Chapter is entitled, "Adam" and it analyzes the emotional states that caused Mozart to change Amade(us) to Adam. Then, when the reader finally arrives at a chapter that actually describes historical events in Mozart's life (and their emotions), the events are often not played out in chronological order. The names of Mozart's major works are most often NEVER written in English and the author often uses German, French, or Italian to make major points without bothering to let the reader in on the English translation: Mozart said of his pet starling "Das war schon." The motto of some riddlers was "Honi soit qui mal y pense." It's frustrating not knowing what those sentences mean in English. I faithfully read the first 344 pages of this book then could no longer bear it - I skimmed the rest, then started reading Gutman's "Mozart - a cultural biography" which appears to present Mozart more idealistically than was the case, but at least I'm getting a feel for what was happening around Mozart during his lifetime. I hope I wasn't too emotional.
Rating:
Summary: 5 Stars!
Review: This book was extremely well written. It hits on all facets of Mozart's life, and provides in-depth analysis of his personality as well as of those Mozart came in contact with during his life. Solomon brings an interesting twist to the story by doing this . If you are looking for a Mozart book for only facts, this is not the book you are looking for. If you are serious about discovering almost all details of his life and thinking about why his life occurred the way it did, this is a perfect read.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting read
Review: This is a comprehensive work about not only Wolfgang, but also his entire family: especially his father,Leopold. It contains an excellent classification list of Mozart's' works by category and also a numerical list by Kochel Numbers. Each chapter has a sizeable list of related notes in the back of the book and the bibliography is also extensive. Although the book is informative and easy to read, I found it a bit repetitious at times (i.e. discussion of Leopold's prolonged influence over Mozart: also, the ever present preoccupation with money). There were a couple chapters on the meaning of Mozart's music as to how it was affected by events of the time that seem to me to contains a lot of subjective conjecture.
On a personal note, I was hoping for some detailed accounts of Mozart's relationship with Saleri and especially, his librettist, Lorenzo Da Ponte (who did the libretto for Cosi, Figaro and Don Giovanni). However, although both men are mentioned in this work, there is sparse information on their involvement with Mozart. All in all and enjoyable work.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: This is a wonderful biography of the great musician. It really dispelles all the false truths and paints Mozart as a living breathing person. There is quite a bit of phycho anaylses some of it was a bit boring but I really enjoyed the anaylises of his relationship with his father. It is a little heavy at times but most of the time reads like a good novel. Wonderful.
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