PositiveThe New York Times Book ReviewErudite, ambitious and elegantly written ... Mackie’s assertions about the ways Mozart’s identification with his era come through in the music are intriguing and insightful, even when overly sweeping and, at times, too speculative ... It’s through detailed, lengthy, wide-ranging descriptions of Mozart’s music that Mackie conveys his ideas, and structures the book. He takes on a sizable number of works ... Though eschewing a chronological narrative, Mackie offers perceptive portraits of Mozart’s intimates, colleagues and competitors ... For all the allure of Mackie’s writing, he’s sometimes so bent on pressing his points that he turns redundant and strains his language ... In his encompassing, literary approach Mackie sometimes overreaches. But every piece he discusses I know well, and the book gave me much to think about.
