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The surprises are plentiful, but every claim, even the most unexpected, is supported by detailed source notes. What emerges is an almost complete mastery of the scholarly literature on the subject, meticulously studied in its original languages.

A brilliant investigation into the intentions behind the libretto of The Magic Flute, and consequently, its music. The research is thoroughly documented and highly effective in reconstructing the ideological climate and context in which this masterpiece was created.

Such intense outrage and over-the-top criticism would never have been unleashed on the two substantial volumes that characterize Bianchini and Trombetta’s grand work if the subject had been any secondary author. But the protagonist is Mozart, and thus the castles in the air crumble, the myths fall, and even his music partially collapses. What remains, at least after reading this first volume, are only ruins.

Rewriting history by thoroughly re-examining sources is the duty of every historian—it’s nothing new. The work of Luca Bianchini and Anna Trombetta exemplifies this. Their meticulous research and precise citation of sources allow them to successfully revisit a path that has long been considered well-trodden, known, unquestionable, and unchangeable: the hagiography of Mozart, the myth of the ‘musical genius,’ and the ‘Viennese classicism.’