THE NARRATED LIFE HISTORY OF WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Part III

[EDITORS NOTE: This is a combined review with THE NARRATED LIFE HISTORIES Parts II, III, XVIII]--These three volumes from the Classical Genius series outline the lives of composers Handel and Vivaldi (Part II), Mozart (Part III), and Saint-Saëns, Respighi, Sibelius, and Dukas (Part XVIII). Far from being a tedious laundry list of names, dates, and palaces, these productions are augmented with selections from each composer's repertoire. The musical pieces are carefully chosen both for thematic continuity and familiarity to the listener. William Sergeant, who narrates the whole series, is a delight to listen to. He sounds more like a storyteller than a history teacher as he allows humor, regret, and joy to sneak into his voice at the appropriate times in the story of each composer's life. He doesn't overdo it, making these volumes a wonderful choice for those who'd like to learn a little more about the men behind the music. A.H.A. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2008]