Curious and controversial as the circumstances of Mozart's death are, the truth has been obscured by accumulated layers of mythology. Drawing on his unrivaled knowledge of the sources, Professor Landon cuts through fantasy and mystification to present the facts -- including a substantial amount of unpublished information -- and reconstruct the moving story of the last year of Mozart's life.
The composition of such works as the Requiem and the operas The Magic Flute and La clemenza di Tito is discussed in detail, and new light is thrown on Mozart's relations with the Freemasons and with Salieri, among others.