In “Mozart’s last aria,” Matt Rees takes the real-life historical mystery of Mozart’s murder, and uses real-life facts and characters to present a possible solution to the case. In the early 1790s, Europe is facing some major problems. The French Revolution is going on in France. Prussia and Austria are sworn enemies. And Mozart loses his life in mysterious circumstances, suspecting poisoning. Mozart’s story kicks off when his sister, Nannerl, is dying and gives Mozart’s son the diary she kept. Upon learning of Mozart’s mysterious death, Nannerl leaves her village of Salzburg and travels to Vienna, where her brother Mozart had gained success and gained entry to the highest social circles. Nannerl’s aim is simple: find out what happened to her brother. Except, the world she encounters is a different Vienna than in her youth. The atmosphere is no longer open and laid-back, but secretive and deceptive. As Nannerl meets some of Mozart’s friends—piano pupil Magdalena Hofdemel, actor Karl Gieseke, patron Prince Lichnowsky, impresario Emanuel Schikaneder, musician Anton Stadler, and head of imperial library Baron Swieden—she can’t help feeling that they know something about her brother’s murder. As Nannerl starts questioning them, she enters a dangerous game—as she is attacked on the street, and forced to fear for her safety. Overall, this is a seductive read. Initially I was concerned that the historical details and multitude of characters might interfere with the writing, but thankfully this was not the case. Right at the beginning of the book, Rees provides the reader with a list of characters and their identities. The writing itself, despite the amount of historical data, is easy to follow. Yet, the mystery itself is anything but simple. Every time you think the killer is unmasked, Rees takes it one step further. I thought it was an interesting, well thought out mystery. Published by Harper Perennial. November 2011. 336 pages. List price $14.99
