Of all the prominent musicians born in Bohemia in the eighteenth century, none is surrounded with as much mystery and mystique as Josef Myslivecêk (1737-1781), who was known in Italy as "Il Boemo" (The Bohemian). Scion of a wealthy family of millers from Prague, he became one of the most talented composers active in late eighteenth-century Europe, even though he only started to acquire instruction in musical composition as an adult. A friend of both Wolfgang and Leopold Mozart, his dynamic personality ("full of fire, spirit, and life," according to Wolfgang) is vividly brought to life in the Mozart correspondence-and not only the praiseworthy aspects, but also the air of scandal that often followed him. This study offers an analysis of all the available documentation concerning Myslivecêk's biography and a thorough description of his compositional style. It is clear that his works were much more influential models for the young Mozart than has ever before been suspected.

Of all the prominent musicians born in Bohemia in the eighteenth century, none is surrounded with as much mystery and mystique as Josef Myslivecek (1737-1781), known as "Il Boemo" ("The Bohemian") in Italy among music lovers unable to grapple with his unpronounceable Czech name. Scion of a wealthy family of millers from Prague (and himself a master miller), he acquired training as a composer only in his twenties; nonetheless he quickly became one of the most talented composers active in late eighteenth-century Europe. Despite a composing career of only eighteen years, Myslivecek produced a large and diverse body of work: twenty-seven operas, eight oratorios, many shorter vocal compositions, about fifty symphonies, twenty-nine overtures, sixteen concertos, and one hundred thirty-four instrumental chamber works. Prodigious, successful, and resourceful, he lived most of his adult life as an itinerant composer in Italy, uninterested in employment at any aristocratic or ecclesiastical musical establishment. A friend of both Wolfgang and Leopold Mozart for eight years between 1770 and 1778, his dynamic personality ("full of fire, spirit, and life" according to Wolfgang) is vividly brought to life in the Mozart correspondence - and not only the praiseworthy aspects, but also the air of scandal that often followed him. Complete and accurate information about Myslivecek's biography and works has remained elusive for many years. The present study narrates his life in light of all available biographical documentation, offers analytical discussions of all the genres in which he composed, and for the first time presents catalogs of all his music fully detailing its sources, editions, and recordings. During much of the last century Myslivecek's contributions to music literature were largely forgotten outside the Czech lands, in part, it is argued, because of national biases. In this book Myslivecek's particular style of composition is approached more systematically, and his participation in the creation of what is now recognized as an era of "high classicism" in European art music evaluated more comprehensively than in any previous study. There is also a critical re-appraisal of Myslivecek's relationship with the Mozart family and of his place in Wolfgang's musical development. Some twenty-eight letters in the surviving Mozart family correspondence mention Myslivecek, and for no other composer did Wolfgang express such a degree of affection. Indeed, the full implications of their strong personal rapport invite revision of older assumptions about their standing with each other: through scrutiny of specific works by both composers, the author makes the case the Myslivecek was a distinctive compositional model for the young Mozart.

Twelve-tone and serial music were dominant forms of composition following World War II and remained so at least through the mid-1970s. In 1961, Ann Phillips Basart published the pioneering bibliographic work in the field.

First Published in 1998. This volume will surely be regarded as the standard guide to Russian literature for some considerable time to come... It is therefore confidently recommended for addition to reference libraries, be they academic or public.

Giving special attention to contemporary recordings and performances which show Mozart's symphonies in their best light, this study explains how his individual sound is achieved, considers problems of eighteenth-century instrumentation, and advances new theories on the composer's life.