Mozart

The Reign of Love

By: Jan Swafford

Narrated by: Tim Campbell

From the acclaimed composer and biographer Jan Swafford comes the definitive biography of one of the most lauded musical geniuses in history, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

At the earliest ages it was apparent that Wolfgang Mozart’s singular imagination was at work in every direction. He hated to be bored and hated to be idle, and through his life he responded to these threats with a repertoire of antidotes mental and physical. Whether in his rabidly obscene mode or not, Mozart was always hilarious. He went at every piece of his life, and perhaps most notably his social life, with tremendous gusto. His circle of friends and patrons was wide, encompassing anyone who appealed to his boundless appetites for music and all things pleasurable and fun.

Mozart was known to be an inexplicable force of nature who could rise from a luminous improvisation at the keyboard to a leap over the furniture. He was forever drumming on things, tapping his feet, jabbering away, but who could grasp your hand and look at you with a profound, searching, and melancholy look in his blue eyes. Even in company there was often an air about Mozart of being not quite there. It was as if he lived onstage and off simultaneously, a character in life’s tragicomedy but also outside of it watching, studying, gathering material for the fabric of his art.

Like Jan Swafford’s biographies Beethoven and Johannes Brahms, Mozart is the complete exhumation of a genius in his life and ours: a man who would enrich the world with his talent for centuries to come and who would immeasurably shape classical music. As Swafford reveals, it’s nearly impossible to understand classical music’s origins and indeed its evolutions, as well as the Baroque period, without studying the man himself.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Exceptional prose and a riveting story

This was a fantastic journey back into the late 18th century. The story of Mozart’s life was extremely enjoyable.

In Depth

In his prior biography of Beethoven, Professor Swafford seemed to enjoy the writing more then Mozart. Additionally, I had the privilege of an intensive one-week seminar at Kenyon College’s Summer Institute with Swafford where he illustrated the text with selections of Beethoven’s works. I’m a non-musical person, yet I learned so much!

His Mozart biography seemed to go into depth on occasion that did not always seem warranted and I found myself thinking we needed to surface to refresh ourselves. However, I never regretted tackling the lengthy tome.

Fantastic Recap of Mozart’s Life

Loved the chronology of Mozart’s brilliant life. Would have loved some of his music incorporated in the audio book but c’est la vie. It was fantasy either way.

Comprehensive Bio

This is a serious examination of Mozart the child prodigy, followed in due course by Mozart the saucy grownup genius who leaves his mark on the world. Author Swafford provides an illuminating look at the times, including the difficulties of travel by coach on primitive roadways, as well as at life in general in a time where sickness and death were a constant presence. Much of the material will already be known to lovers of all things Mozartian, but Swafford also clears up some of the lingering myths surrounding this towering figure.
He delves frequently into examinations of Mozart's technical approach to composition, dwelling almost exhaustively on such details as his use of counterpoint, choice of keys, harmony and much more. The lengthy discussions of opera plot, recitative, libretto, etc., similarly strain the spirit of all but the most serious student of research. Skip is always an option. However, the book is worth the effort.
Narration is good.

The man without the myth

So thorough and debunks all the myth surrounding Mozart’s life. Narration is among the best I’ve heard! Highly recommend!

Incredibly Done

I learned so much about so much about Mozart with this book. It was expertly written, and it’s so obvious that it was done with a lot of love. I even got teary-eyed near the end when he spoke of Mozart’s death. In a strange way I began to feel like I knew him. I highly recommend this!

Mozart comes to life through this writing.

I especially enjoyed the quotes from Mozart’s letters which reveal the kind of person he was. The author heavily inked the details of Mozart’s operas, which I’m sure would be more appreciated by opera lovers.

A biography with wind and wheels.

I wonder how Wolfgang felt about waking up and finding me staring at him in wonder. Superb biography and narration.

Excellent and detailed!

The author has a masterful knowledge of music and is an excellent biographer. Recommend watching operas and listening to the performances as you encounter them in the book.

Genius on display vividly and beautifully.

I liked it all. The story was fascinating and compelling, and the reading was exceptional