Nannerl Mozart in Literature
In 1996, a teen novel entitled The Secret Wish of Nannerl Mozart, by Canadian poet Barbara Kathleen Nickel, was first published (by Sumach Press). And what could the girl’s secret wish be? None other than to become the greatest composer in the world! The novel is based on careful historical research…
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Nannerl Mozart on Stage and on Screen
In 2013, Nannerl’s life was adapted into a solo theatre play that obtained outstanding reviews and is currently touring the US, Canada, and Europe. The Other Mozart was created by and stars the actress, writer and musician Sylvia Milo. The show is set in and on its costume — a stunning dress, eighteen feet in diameter…
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Reality is in the Eye of the Beholder
Until a few years ago, if you were a lover of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s music then you were probably familiar with the Mozart Forum — a website dedicated to discussing Mozart, his work, his world. Unfortunately, it’s gone, along with the extensive library, which contained some excellent articles. Probably the site got hacked…
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Speaking of “Amadeus”, a Memorable Profanation
The most renowned work of fiction based on Mozart and his family is undoubtedly that written by Sir Peter Shaffer, initially for the theatre (1978) and later for the screen (1984): Amadeus. The figure of Nannerl, the Maestro’s sister, is absent: not only is she not among the characters on scene (which include Mozart’s wife and his father)…
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“When Music is the Muse” by Susanne Dunlap
As biographical subjects, musicians are no different from any other historical characters except perhaps — with a few exceptions — in being less generally familiar to a wide audience. Yet in recreating the world of even the most famous and familiar of musicians or composers, writers face a unique difficulty.
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Fact vs. Fiction in “Mozart’s Sister”
The first question that an author of historical fiction is asked, inevitably, is: how much is true in your story? On this page are a collection of questions I have been most frequently asked, followed by my responses. How much of your novel Mozart’s Sister is based on fact, and how much is fiction? The main characters are all based on real people…