Mozart Book

People often speak of my husband as if he were a comet - brilliant, blazing, and gone too soon. What is mentioned less often is the person left behind, watching…

Despite the difficulties of recent years, I felt unexpectedly strong. My mind buzzed with ideas, and optimism - long absent - began to return. So it was with genuine delight…

The year began with promise. Emperor Joseph II commissioned Lorenzo Da Ponte and me to create a new opera: Così fan tutte[i]. In truth, the commission had first been offered…

Life in Vienna remained bruised by the war, and my financial situation showed little inclination to improve. My income continued to shrink while my debts stubbornly persisted. It became clear…

That winter felt colder and longer than most, as if pain and sorrow had decided to linger well past their welcome. Vienna reflected the mood. The city was not only…

Vienna had enjoyed Le nozze di Figaro, but it was Prague that adored it. Prague - a fast-growing, energetic city with a distinctly Bohemian spirit - embraced the opera with…

I had been riding high through Viennese society - perhaps a little too high at times. My lifestyle reflected my confidence with admirable accuracy. Constanze and I lived in a…

Growing up as a prodigy always sounded glamorous to others. In practice, it was less enchanting. People either regarded me as a trained parrot or overwhelmed me with praise thicker…

Life in Vienna felt good. Everywhere I looked, everything seemed to glitter with a brilliance that rivaled the Emperor’s chandeliers. I had a devoted wife, a growing reputation, and what…

Married life in Vienna was much as I had hoped, even if our piano bench occasionally served as a dining table. Constanze and I were genuinely happy together. Still, a…