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Summary

In 1821, Wolfgang Amadé Mozart reflects on his brushes with death, including the one that nearly killed him in 1791. Now settled into a sylvan old age in America with his wife, two sons, and grandchildren, the world-famous composer gives testament to his life and career.

In the thirty years of extra time he was granted, he not only wrote more operas—including one that changed the course of history—but also he engaged with key people of his times: composers like Haydn and Beethoven, musicians and singers like Nancy Storace and Luigi Cherubini, along with European royalty and American financiers and politicians like John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson.

While gratified by his creations and successes, Mozart remains burdened with guilt, as he weighs the price of his gifts on those around him.