I would not be surprised to find out that either John Suchet is 250 years old or he has a time machine, as I felt as if he knew Mozart personally whilst reading his completely spellbinding book entitled Mozart: The Man Revealed.

As a regular listener to Classic FM, I look forward to Mozart Mondays as nothing is better at setting you up for the week ahead than the jollity of Mozart's compositions. I always find myself humming or whistling along without even realising it, completely unaware of the stories that lie behind the child prodigy and his famous works.

I have previously read and enjoyed John Suchet's fantastic book on Johann Strauss, but this book goes one step further as we really get to know the young composer through his own words by examining letters that he and his father wrote home whilst on tour. The young Mozart is every bit the precocious child we imagine but he also had the most amazing sense of humour, often without a filter which would place him on the autistic spectrum today.

As well as Mozart's sense of humour, John Suchet's fabulous sense of humour comes through in his writing. I won't spoil the whole book but there is a particular painting of Mozart and his sister, Nannerl, who has the most gigantic hair, that makes me chuckle just thinking about it. Mozart's humour is definitely what we could call 'toilet humour' as he is very rude and just doesn't care less. Listening to his work after reading this book seems to add a new dimension, as I feel as if I can now effortlessly tap into the feelings that are woven into each exceptional piece of music.

An absolute must-read for any classical music fan, where you can really get to know the man behind the music in Mozart: The Man Revealed. It is so authentic and fascinating that it could easily be called Mozart: In His Own Words. Think you know Mozart? Think again!

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion. ( )

"The world's best-loved composer"
By sally tarbox on 5 October 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
An extemely readable account of the composer's life, drawing on witness statements and letters and with colour photos throughout.
We read of his early musical aptitude and his father's efforts to exploit his two child prodigies by taking them on lengthy tours across Europe. There was an increasingly difficult relationship between Mozart and his controlling father, as the young man sought to make his own decisions and consort with women of whom his parents disapproved.
Both father and son seemed to have personalities that antagonised those around them. And mother and son seemed to share an unpleasing scatological sense of humour...
But Mozart had a huge work ethic and was composing on his death bed, although the celebrity and adulation we might expect weren't adequately fothcoming in his lifetime.
A beautifully illustrated and well-written biography. ( )