Includes bibliographical references and index.

Marching bands, church music, and escape from Salzburg -- The shadow of Haydn : symphonies -- The friendship with Haydn : chamber music -- In the realm of Joseph II : the abduction from the seraglio -- Virtuoso performer : concertos -- Salons : solo keyboard works -- Revolutionary thoughts about women and power : Figaro and Cos�i -- Carnival versus Lent : Don Giovanni -- A fellow prankster and a strange commission : the Magic Flute and Requiem -- Coda : then until now.

Titles in the Listener's Companion Series provide readers with a deeper understanding of key musical genres and the work of major artists and composers. Aimed at nonspecialists, each volume clearly explains how to listen to works from particular artists, composers, and genres. Examining both the context in which the music appeared and its form, authors provide the environments in which key musical works were written and performed-from a 1950s bebop concert at the Village Vanguard to a performance of Handel's Messiah in 18th-century Dublin. Wolfgang Amade Mozart (1756-1791) remains as popular today as ever. His recordings fill iTunes playlists, and annual Mozart festivals are performed worldwide. His eminence as a musician has supported overseas guided tours, served as the subject of a cartoon series (Little Amadeus: twenty-nine episodes from 2006 to 2008), inspired movies and documentaries, and launched a French rock opera.