Bach and Mozart

Robert Marshall's Bach and Mozart is the summation of a life spent in the service of these two giants of 18th century music. Prof. Marshall blends scrupulous scholarship with a keen sense of aesthetics, shedding light on myriad aspects of both composers. Readers seeking enlightenment in hitherto unexplored directions will find this essential work stimulating and enlightening. --Robert Levin, Professor Emeritus, Harvard University What is a genius? What makes a composer great? In this captivating and erudite collection of essays, Robert Marshall approaches some of the biggest questions about the two greatest composers of the eighteenth century, Bach and Mozart. In a fascinating polyphony of methodological approaches, from biography to style criticism to cultural studies, Marshall paints a new, sometimes provocative image of the two composers and their works. The book provides a fresh perspective for musicologists and performers and for admirers of Bach and Mozart. --Markus Rathey, Robert S. Tangeman Professor of Music History, Yale University What a delightful, stimulating, brilliant collection of essays! Sometimes playful and humorous, often profound, always intelligent, with many surprising insights into the personalities of two great composers and wonderfully evocative descriptions of some of their finest music. Robert Marshall writes beautifully, with crystal-clear, jargon-free prose throughout. --John A. Rice, independent scholar and member of the Akademie fur Mozart-Forschung in Salzburg