Mozart in Italy

"You don't need to be able to hum Mozart to find this book utterly absorbing . . . I couldn't put it down" - Joanna Lumley

At the age of thirteen, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a child prodigy who had conquered the hearts of northern Europe, but his father, Leopold, was determined to conquer Italy. Together, they made three visits there, with the last occurring when Mozart was seventeen, all vividly described by the acclaimed conductor Jane Glover.

Father and son traveled from the theaters and concert salons of Milan to the churches of Rome, to Naples, which was poorer and more dangerous than the prosperous north, and to Venice, the birthplace of public opera. During these trips, Mozart absorbed Italian culture, language, style, and art, refining his work. He faced the challenge of composing Italian opera for Italian singers and audiences, provoking a range of reactions, from triumph and admiration to intrigue and hostility: in some way, these Italian years can be seen as a microcosm of his entire life.

Delightful, beautifully written, and with a deep understanding of eighteenth-century classical music, Mozart in Italy reveals how his experiences during these Italian journeys transformed Mozart – and his music – forever.