Biographie W. A. Mozart’s. Nach Originalbriefen, Sammlungen alles uber ihn Geschriebenen, mit vielen neuen Beylagen, Steindrucken, Musikblattern und einem Fac-simile. Nach (von Nissens) Tode herausgegeben von Constanze, Wittwe von Nissen, früher Wi... - [THE FIRST REAL BIOGRAPHY OF MOZART]

Leipzig, 1828. 8vo. (leaves: 207 x 125 mm). Two volumes bound together in a contemporary half calf with gilt title to spine and decorative instrumental ornamentations. Spine worn, and upper capital torn. Also wear to extremities and covers.Inner front hinge a bit weak. Occasional brownspotting, mostly to first few leaves. Frontispiece-portrait, XLIV, 702 pp + (1) f. (Book binder instructions) + 7 plates (a family portrait (laid in loose, originally belonging between pp. 44 and 45) portrait of 7-year-old Mozart façade of the “Hagenauer House”, Getreidegasse 9, Mozart’s birthplace portrait of Mozart as a man portrait of Constanze Mozart’s sons illustration of Mozart’s ear in comparison to a generic ear) + 8 folded leaves of musical scores" (Appendix:) 219, (1) pp. + 2 folded leaves of musical scores + 1 folded double-leaf with instruction for the binder. The family portrait, which is here laid in loose, is almost always missing. The present portrait is a little brownspotted and has a marginal tear, just touching the outer left edge of the illustration, but overall in very nice condition.

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First edition of this important work, which is considered the first real, full-length biography of Mozart (1756-1791). This magnum opus in Mozart literature was the reference for later biographies and is still a crucial source for Mozart scholars. ""This work made public for the first time many unknown documents and details of Mozart's life... and has worked as a basic source ever since"" (The new Grove XIII, 253). “An unsuspected wealth of fresh resources was brought to light by the ‘Biographie W. A. Mozarts,’ by G. N. v. Nissen. Leipzig, 1828” (Jahn, vi) The author of the biography was the Danish diplomat Georg N. von Nissen, who married the widowed Constanze Mozart in 1809. In 1824, they settled in Salzburg, Mozart’s hometown, and in 1828 – two years after Nissen’s death – Constanze published the biography composed by Nissen. According to Jahn, “[w]e ought to own ourselves deeply indebted to him [Nissen], for without his care the most important documents and traditions would have been hopelessly lost.” (Jahn, p. vi). Nissen, being married to Constanze and living in Salzburg, had access to authentic documents and close connections of Mozart, amongst them his sister, Maria Anna Mozart (Nannerl), and Constanze’s sister, Sophie Weber. Among these documents are the transcribed correspondence between Mozart and his father, letters to his mother, etc. as well as miscellanea such as a dedication to Haydn. The second volume is an appendix comprising a chronological list of Mozart’s work, a description of “Mozart and the peculiarity of his works” including a comparison of Mozart and other composers – Haydn, Beethoven (“der Tag und die Nach”, s. 55) – and other artist (such as Shakespeare). Additionally, there is a characterization of Mozart’s operas (pp. 66-134) and pianoforte compositions. The appendix also includes poems dedicated to Mozart. “Nissen, who came to Vienna, after Mozart's death, as a Danish diplomatist, became acquainted with his widow, and interested himself in her unprotected condition. He had a great turn for business matters, and was fond of arranging papers, writing letters, and even copying, without understanding what it was that he was occupied about. He therefore willingly undertook to put Mozart's effects in order, to assist the widow in all her business arrangements, and to carry on her correspondence. A long series of letters which he wrote in her name show him to have been a well-meaning, sensible man, somewhat over-circumstantial in his style of writing. After his marriage with Mozart's widow he felt it his duty to labour with the same conscientious care for his memory as he had formerly done for his property, and he employed the leisure of his remaining years, which were spent at Salzburg, in carrying out this design. We ought to own ourselves deeply indebted to him, for without his care the most important documents and traditions would have been hopelessly lost. Mozart's sister was then living at Salzburg" her recollections, and those of his wife, afforded an abundance of characteristic traits, and the carefully preserved papers and family correspondence, were a mine of authentic documents.” (Jahn, vi) See: Jahn. (1882). The Life of Mozart (Pauline D. Townsend, Trans.).