- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Harper Perennial; Original edition (Oct 24 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0062015869
- ISBN-13: 978-0062015860
- Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 13.5 x 2.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 272 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #272,619 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
Review
“Matt Rees cleverly weaves music, crime, and conspiracy into a sumptuous historical whodunit, set against the decadent backdrop of 18th-century Vienna.” (Marie Claire )
“Rees nails the details of Mozart’s Vienna with precision, seasoning his story with musical details that will delight fans of classical music. . . . A beautiful book lluminated by the author’s own musical background that moves slowly and deliberately to a fine conclusion.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) )
“Engaging, well-paced. . . . Combining Dan Brown or Elizabeth Kostova–style historical conspiracy theory with cozy detective novel, Rees’s latest offers a genuinely felt reverence for the power of Mozart’s music and its lasting impact in the world.” (Publishers Weekly )
“An excellent choice for mystery fans and historical fiction readers.” (Booklist )
“Mozart, music, and murder seamlessly blend together in this fascinating historical mystery. A perfect read to go with a crackling fire and a pot of hot chocolate.” (Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Girl )
“A stunning combination of mystery and meticulously researched historical fiction. . . . A sweeping, gorgeously written book.” (Tasha Alexander, author of Dangerous to Know )
“Mozart fans and codecrackers will enjoy the clever musical riddle. A very readable historical mystery romp.” (The Times (London) )
“This absorbing Viennese soap opera is a solid choice for readers who like fiction about historical figures caught up in suspenseful intrigues such as Matthew Pearl’s The Dante Club or Gyles Brandreth’s Oscar Wilde mysteries.” (Library Journal )
“Rees nails the details of Mozart’s Vienna with precision, seasoning his story with musical details that will delight fans of classical music. . . . A beautiful book lluminated by the author’s own musical background that moves slowly and deliberately to a fine conclusion.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) )
“Engaging, well-paced. . . . Combining Dan Brown or Elizabeth Kostova–style historical conspiracy theory with cozy detective novel, Rees’s latest offers a genuinely felt reverence for the power of Mozart’s music and its lasting impact in the world.” (Publishers Weekly )
“An excellent choice for mystery fans and historical fiction readers.” (Booklist )
“Mozart, music, and murder seamlessly blend together in this fascinating historical mystery. A perfect read to go with a crackling fire and a pot of hot chocolate.” (Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Girl )
“A stunning combination of mystery and meticulously researched historical fiction. . . . A sweeping, gorgeously written book.” (Tasha Alexander, author of Dangerous to Know )
“Mozart fans and codecrackers will enjoy the clever musical riddle. A very readable historical mystery romp.” (The Times (London) )
“This absorbing Viennese soap opera is a solid choice for readers who like fiction about historical figures caught up in suspenseful intrigues such as Matthew Pearl’s The Dante Club or Gyles Brandreth’s Oscar Wilde mysteries.” (Library Journal )
Book Description
The news arrives in a letter to his sister, Nannerl, in December 1791. But the message carries more than word of Nannerl’s brother’s demise. Two months earlier, Mozart confided to his wife that his life was rapidly drawing to a close . . . and that he knew he had been poisoned.
In Vienna to pay her final respects, Nannerl soon finds herself ensnared in a web of suspicion and intrigue—as the actions of jealous lovers, sinister creditors, rival composers, and Mozart’s Masonic brothers suggest that dark secrets hastened the genius to his grave. As Nannerl digs deeper into the mystery surrounding her brother’s passing, Mozart’s black fate threatens to overtake her as well.
Transporting readers to the salons and concert halls of eighteenth-century Austria, Mozart’s Last Aria is a magnificent historical mystery that pulls back the curtain on a world of soaring music, burning passion, and powerful secrets.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Customer Reviews
|
There are no customer reviews yet on Amazon.ca
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.4 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Mozart, Masons and murder, Sep 19 2011
By Blue in Washington "Barry Ballow" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Mozart's Last Aria (Hardcover)
Matt Rees is a fine mystery writer and you expect a good storyline with his novels. "Mozart's Last Aria" certainly delivers on that expectation. Rees builds this historic novel on the long held theory that Wolfgang Mozart, who died in 1791 at age 36, was actually murdered. Here the death is tied to Mozart's involvement with a politically controversial masonic lodge that had connections with the Kingdom of Prussia. The "police procedural" in "Mozart's Last..." is pursued by the composer's estranged sister, Maria Anna aka Nannerl, who is driven by both love of her brother and great sibling guilt for not having been there for him in his time of financial stress and illness. The investigation and its discoveries are clever and convincing. The author has clearly put a lot of research and personal interest into the plot.A second strong point for this novel is the inclusion of a great deal of detail about Mozart's music, discussions of 18th Century music performance and descriptions of daily life in Vienna of the time. All of this puts good flesh on the bones of Rees' storyline.
Where I had some problems with "Mozart's Last Aria" was with the characters. The portrayal of the central player Nannerel as a kind of avenging angel, whirling around (the action takes place in a matter of several days) Vienna interrogating some of the movers and shakers of the period somehow just didn't seem credible. Ultimately, Nannerl does not emerge from the story as very likable or even admirable. Maybe that wasn't the point, but as protagonist, she could have been given a few more positive qualities and heft (in my opinion). Likewise, some of the novel's other characters are not fully fleshed out and, for me, lacked real credibility in their roles as well.
Even with the reservations about the book's characters, on the whole, this is a pretty good read from a skilled writer.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
historical mystery, Nov 7 2011
By Alla S. - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Mozart's Last Aria: A Novel (Paperback)
In "Mozart's last aria," Matt Rees takes the real-life historical mystery of Mozart's murder, and uses real-life facts and characters to present a possible solution to the case.In the early 1790s, Europe is facing some major problems. The French Revolution is going on in France. Prussia and Austria are sworn enemies. And Mozart loses his life in mysterious circumstances, suspecting poisoning. Mozart's story kicks off when his sister, Nannerl, is dying and gives Mozart's son the diary she kept. Upon learning of Mozart's mysterious death, Nannerl leaves her village of Salzburg and travels to Vienna, where her brother Mozart had gained success and gained entry to the highest social circles. Nannerl's aim is simple: find out what happened to her brother.
Except, the world she encounters is a different Vienna than in her youth. The atmosphere is no longer open and laid-back, but secretive and deceptive. As Nannerl meets some of Mozart's friends--piano pupil Magdalena Hofdemel, actor Karl Gieseke, patron Prince Lichnowsky, impresario Emanuel Schikaneder, musician Anton Stadler, and head of imperial library Baron Swieden--she can't help feeling that they know something about her brother's murder. As Nannerl starts questioning them, she enters a dangerous game--as she is attacked on the street, and forced to fear for her safety.
Overall, this is a seductive read. Initially I was concerned that the historical details and multitude of characters might interfere with the writing, but thankfully this was not the case. Right at the beginning of the book, Rees provides the reader with a list of characters and their identities. The writing itself, despite the amount of historical data, is easy to follow. Yet, the mystery itself is anything but simple. Every time you think the killer is unmasked, Rees takes it one step further. I thought it was an interesting, well thought out mystery.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Crime Novel as a Sonata, Nov 11 2011
By Judie Amsel - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Mozart's Last Aria: A Novel (Paperback)
I have long been a fan of Matt Rees's books and eagerly anticipated reading Mozart's Last Aria, his latest one. I was not disappointed.At the end of the book he includes the story behind it (which is very interesting reading on its own). He wrote that the novel is written in the form of a sonata (the A minor or K310). He identifies three movements: the opening Allegro maestoso, disturbing and almost discordant; the thoughtful Andante contabile con espressione; and the Presto, which refers back to the Allegro maestoso as the story is resolved. (All that informtion is in the book.) That idea may work for many crime novels and provides a very different way of looking at the text.
"The Magic Flute" plays a very important role and has a lot of secrets hidden within its score.
The protagonist is Mozart's sister, Nannerl. She received a letter from Mozart's wife a week after his death. The letter arouses her suspicions about the cause of his death because it says he claimed to have been poisoned. Even though they had not been in contact for three years, she leaves her husband, against his wishes, their two children, and his five boisterous children from previous marriages to go to Vienna.
While there, she reconnects with her sister-in-law, with whom she has not had a good relationship, and meets many of Mozart's friends and associates. While she tries to find out what happened to her brother, her life is threatened and another friend of his is killed. She tries to determine a motive for killing him. Jealously, politics, and equality all are possible.
By the end of the book, the reader will learn that there is not one villain.
Mozart's Last Aria is an excellent read.
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
