There have been numerous garden variety child prodigies who, once grown,
somehow drift into the woodwork never to be seen or heard from again.  The
sparkle of their once dazzling talents often appears to fade with encroaching
adulthood, yet there are a handful whose talents continue almost to meteoric
heights.  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Wunderkinder of his day, was one of
them.  Dispelling all myth and controversy surrounding the man, Peter Gay,
National Book Award-winning author,  has written a marvelously erudite
biography of this composer, MOZART:  a life.

Born in Salzburg on January 27, 1756 to Anna Marie and Leopold, Mozart,
Joannes Christostomos Wolfgang Gottlieb Mozart soon began to show signs that he was no ordinary child.  At the tender age of three he was playing the
harpsichord.  By the age of five he was not only performing for royalty, he
was actually formulating compositions, as childish and inconsequential as
they may have been, on his own.  His sister Nannerl, a gifted musician in
her own right, was soon shown up by her remarkably talented brother.

With a prudent eye on the family finances,  Leopold showcased his son's
talents with the acumen of a Phineas T. Barnum.  Performing throughout
Europe, all the while finding the inspiration to compose (manically at
times), Mozart was well on his way to becoming a legend.  Fully aware of his
own talent, he once claimed to his father that he could "pretty well
assimilate and imitate all sorts and styles of compositions."  The author
dispels and disperses the abundant rumors surrounding his subject, but one
thing does remain . . .  Wolfgang was a genius.

If you, the reader, felt that Peter Shaffer's version of Mozart's life in
Amadeus was totally factual, you will need to pick up a copy of this book
and revisit the movie with a different eye.  I enjoyed this book so much
that I dug up my old copy and did just that.  The author admittedly was
heavily influenced by Maynard Solomon's biography (identical title), yet I
feel this book is a marvelous, light weight introduction to Mozart that is
quite refreshing without one iota of stuffiness. If Peter Gay had the
inclination and inspiration to write biographies of other composers, it
would be an excellent series.  How about it Mr. Gay?