Tomorrow will be the 251th celebration of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. As many of us remember, the world rejoiced and enjoyed multiple concerts, galas, and parties for his 250th birthday.
One of the library's most recent Mozart acquisitions is The Cambridge Mozart Encyclopedia edited by Cliff Eisen & Simon P. Keefe. It is an alphabetically arranged collection of scholarly articles written in a clear, concise manner by internationally renowned experts in the field. Although there are no abstruse analyses, musical examples, or photographs, it does a superb job of covering Mozart's life and music. A fascinating entry on his "Medical History and Death" includes a chart listing his ailments, complaints, and symptoms. As the article on "Kitsch" points out, Mozart's popularity has caused him to be used as a marketing tool. Useful appendices abound covering his musical works, films made about him, his operas on DVD and video, organizations devoted to him, and relevant websites.
Some of our newer compact discs include the Complete Wind Concertos performed by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Cosi Fan Tutte starring Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Christa Ludwig, and Alfredo Kraus, The Mozart Album featuring opera arias performed by Anna Netrebko, Thomas Quasthoff, and Rene Pape, Piano Concertos 15, 21, & 23 performed by Alfred Brendel, the Requiem in D minor conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, and Symphonies 40 & 41 conducted by Marc Minkowski.