There are few artists who are praised with the same level of hyperbole as Wolfgang Mozart. The German poet Franz Alexander von Kleist once said “Mozart’s music is so beautiful as to entice angels down to earth.” The famous Russian composer Tchaikovsky declared that Mozart was no less than a “musical Christ.” With praise that grandiose it can be hard to believe that Mozart was a flesh and blood human being. The stories of Mozart’s dazzling genius begin when he was only a small child. He was writing his first compositions at age of five and had written his first symphony by the age of eight. There is no denying Mozart’s great talent, but how much stock should we put in the tales of childhood brilliance. Tune-in and find out how royal proposals, an interminable penny whistle solo, and Sebastian’s middle name all play a role in the story.

Works Cited

Davies, Peter J. Mozart in Person : His Character and Health. Greenwood Press, 1989.

Greenberg, Robert. Great Masters: Mozart — His Life and Music. Chantilly, VA: The Teaching Company, 2013. Audible.com

Melograni, Piero., and Lydia G. Cochrane. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : A Biography. University of Chicago Press, 2007.

Sollers, Philippe, and Armine Kotin Mortimer. Mysterious Mozart. University of Illinois Press, 2010.

Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life. Harper Perennial, 2005.

Stafford, William. Mozart’s Death : A Corrective Survey of the Legends. Macmillan, 1991.

Wates, Roye E. Mozart : An Introduction to the Music, the Man, and the Myths. Amadeus Press, 2010.