Mozart in Context

Brings into focus the vibrant musical, cultural and historical currents of eighteenth-century Europe and how they shaped Mozart's career.

This comprehensive and accessible book focuses on the professional, cultural and historical environments in which Mozart operated, and how they influenced his output. The concise, topic-based essays will appeal to students, researchers and music lovers wishing to deepen their understanding of this outstanding composer and his world.The vibrant intellectual, social and political climate of mid eighteenth-century Europe presented opportunities and challenges for artists and musicians alike. This book focuses on Mozart the man and musician as he responds to different aspects of that world. It reveals his views on music, aesthetics and other matters; on places in Austria and across Europe that shaped his life; on career contexts and environments, including patronage, activities as an impresario, publishing, theatrical culture and financial matters; on engagement with performers and performance, focusing on Mozart's experiences as a practicing musician; and on reception and legacy from his own time through to the present day. Probing diverse Mozartian contexts in a variety of ways, the contributors reflect the vitality of existing scholarship and point towards areas primed for further study. This volume is essential reading for students and scholars of late eighteenth-century music and for Mozart aficionados and music lovers in general.