Reviews (cont'd)

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"one of the most brilliant books I have read in years!" Read Full Review . . . Janet Elaine Smith, Author

"It was great! I couldn't believe how involved I was..." . . . Robert Danziger, Ph. D., Associate Professor of Music,
      California State University, Stanislaus

I am so happy that I was introduced to you and your novel at this summer's Midsummer Mozart Festival. The Mozart Forgeries is a meticulously-detailed yet fast-paced caper and an intriguing mystery that is both droll and ironic. It is a wonderful adventure, and it deserves the utmost success. Thank you for this impeccably written gem. . . . Sally Milnor, Mozart Aficionado

In "The Mozart Forgeries", one of the world's foremost Mozart scholars has written an outstanding novel that will appeal not only to music lovers, but also to those who simply love a good read. Applying his considerable knowledge of Mozart and his music, Daniel Leeson weaves a tale of intrigue involving a complex scheme to forge a manuscript of one of Mozart's greatest masterpieces. From outside the gates of a prison, the action shifts to a safe house, a remote French village, a lonely country road, and the offices of the world's great auction houses. On the way, the plot gives us a glimpse into the mind and art of a master forger, as well as the ingenious machinations of his accomplice. "The Mozart Forgeries" is a tale of unexpected twists, murder, and much more. Don't miss it! . . . Marty Wacksman, Mozart Aficionado

I am organist/choirmaster at St Andrew's Episcopal church in College Park, Maryland. A choir member, who happens to be a fine clarinetist and great lover of Mozart, gave me your book to read. It was wonderful--I could hardly put it down until I finished it. I love a good mystery and your writing is up there with the best. Thanks for it.

So, what's your next book? . . . Dale Krider, DMA, FAGO (Fellow of the American Guild of Organists)

Excellent read!

Engrossing, well-constructed and an eminently believable yarn. Rich with esoteric detail, intricate plot turns and not one, but TWO surprise endings. I thoroughly enjoyed it and couldn't put it down.

I took it with me on a recent plane trip and was captivated for the duration. As a one-time (long ago) piano student, who cursed Mozart on frequent occasions, I could readily relate to the main subject matter. The technical details regarding the actual execution of the plan were both convincing and mesmerizing, the character development very well done and the concept was unusual and most entertaining. You left no loose ends (that really bothers me with other novels I've read) and your incorporation of local "color" (e.g., NJ, NYC and Europe venues) was balanced and added just the right amount of credibility. . . . Walt Roseberry, Mozart Aficionado

"Received the book in Tokyo today, started it this morning at 0930 and couldn't put it down. The time is now 2200 and the book is finished. I loved it. A technical mind as well as a musical one most definitely will enjoy the book." . . . Umar Goldeli, head of Australian defense technology firm, Universal Defence currently residing in Japan

"A very interesting read! Is there a sequel in the works?" . . . Rick Williams, Mozart Aficionado

"A uniquely satisfying read!! Sorry to have it end. I did very much enjoy it and looked forward to more at the end of each day. Bravo!" . . . Linda Foss, Mozart Aficionado

I just finished reading your book "The Mozart Forgeries". I have seldom read a book that fascinated me from beginning to end, as this one did. Congratulation on this excellent story. I admire your detailed knowledge of paper making as well as composing. Had I only the money I'd like to do a movie about this story. It is better than any James Bond. . . . Peter L. Farer, Mozart Aficionado

So I bought a copy of your book based on all of the great reviews that I had seen when it came out. I sat down, started reading, and you hooked me. Because of you, I wasn't able to get to sleep on time or waste time in my usual ways for three nights in a row. The television stayed off, the radio stayed off, I didn't even read any of my magazines. I just couldn't put the book down until it was done. . . . Benjamin Maas of Fifth Circle Audio, Mozart Aficionado

I REALLY enjoyed this book. Now, I am not a clarinetist. I am an over 50 grandma, who is struggling to learn the first five notes on my daughter's clarinet - so I am not a music expert. I figure, my opinion is a more "general public" review.

I found the book fascinating - all of the detail about paper, ink etc, just added interest to the story - I never found it tiresome, or "too much" All those details just made the story believable. The characters are believable and likeable, even as they carry out their "caper"

I would recommend this book to anyone who would like a very enjoyable read that entertains without getting tiresome. I will be buying Mr. Leeson's next book - his writing style is very entertaining. . . . Nancy Drummon, Mozart Aficionado

I just finished reading The Mozart Forgeries (at 2 a.m. this morning, because I couldn't put the damn thing down. I'm a binge reader but I'd been very good about exercising self-restraint until I got to the part where the manuscripts were finished and the authentication process began. Then all bets were off).

I loved the book! And, I'll be buying two or three more copies to give as gifts to various people for the holidays. . . . Donna Higgins, Mozart Aficionado

"Thank you for the book! It is a masterwork!" . . . Emanuel Mintz, Mozart Aficionado

At last I am able to write that I've read your Mozart novel and enjoyed it very much! I'm a former fine bookbinder, and I think you got the papermaking and preservation stuff really right. Anyway, this is all by way of saying I felt right at home with your characters -- and as I wrote to someone recently, just as in Mozart operas, nobody you get to care about dies. I enjoyed the cheerful good humor of the book [and] I kept turning pages to find out what would happen next. I gave a copy of the book to a professor here at UM who loves Mozart -- I think he'll love the extensive Table of Contents -- he's always trying to get his dissertation advisees to put descriptive headings on short chapters and lay them all out in a long Table of Contents -- too bad you weren't aiming for a Ph.D. with this project! . . . Bonnie Jo Dopp, Research Librarian, University of Maryland

I am greatly impressed with the smoothness and expertise you describe, the unfolding of the process of creating two "authentic" manuscripts of Mozart, long lost, down to the last detail. Clearly, the Forger's personality and omniscient powers to bring this about are the protragonist's alter ego and/or narcissistic extension, while Librarian remains the prime moved of the action. The reality of this process is clearly worthy of inclusion in the Mozart Jahrbuch, but the book is still one of fiction, a fantasy, well-suited for Hollywood. . . . Erna Schwerin, President, Friends of Mozart, New York City

I loved your "Mozart Forgeries"... great read, lots of good historical information... all in all, it was thoroughly enjoyable. Congratulations. I'm recommending it to anyone who will listen and I'm giving copies as gifts. I'll doing my best to make you a rich man! . . . Peter Gelfand, Principal cellist, Silicon Valley Symphony Orchestra

I have finally finished the very enjoyable diversion of reading "The Mozart Forgeries" by Dan Leeson. I found it an extremely pleasant read, full of very interesting details about the no-longer-considered difficulties of manuscript creation in the 18th century. The extensive discussion of the method of producing paper in those days is fascinating and entirely relevant to the story, not to mention the ink, quills, etc. I think it is also a significant achievement to put so much personality into characters who are not even give NAMES other than "Librarian" and "Forger." The story is quite interesting and unique, with a couple of clever twists. I do not want to give away any plot details, but what do you suppose the manuscripts of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto and Clarinet Quintet would really be worth on the open market? And would it be worth the considerable trouble to "create" them? I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all clarinetists, Mozart lovers, document collectors, and would-be forgers. . . . Bill Hausman, Clarinetist and Mozart Aficionado

My wife gave me "The Mozart Forgeries" by Dan Leesen for Christmas and I just finished reading it. Enjoyed it tremendously, being torn the whole time between a sympathy for Librarian and disgust in what they were doing. At first, I found the short chapters irritating. I wanted more. The dialog seemed somewhat stiff whereas the telling of the tale just flowed from the pen like wine out of a caraf. What's absolutely amazing, besides the clever plot and the very alert way in which everything was tied together, was the sheer amount of details which must have been researched for this book. Dan, are you sure you're not planning just such a caper?! . . . David Glenn, Professional Clarinettist and Mozart Afficionado

I highly recommend this intriguing and engrossing book which is sure to enlighten and entertain those of us who love listening and to performing Mozart's works. It should be especially of note to clarinetists and basset hornists who can relate to the manuscripts described in the book in a very personal way. It is extremely well-written and well-researched, and read like an excellent detective story with more plot twists than a double B-flat contrabass clarinet. . . . Mitch Weiss, Freelance clarinetist, New York City

I celebrated [Mozart's birthday] early - FINALLY read your book.

I LOVED IT. BEST MYSTERY I'VE READ IN AGES!

I really REALLY loved all the detail you go into about the PAPER. I know, it's not a musical detail per se, but still, for some reason, I found the method by which the paper was made completely fascinating! And, what was even worse - I sympathized with the CRIMINALS! . . . Patricia Smith, Mozart Aficionado

Having just finished reading "The Mozart Forgeries," I feel the urge to utilize your email address to tell you how much I enjoyed reading your book. You engage in so many fantasies that the reader (I, for one) would like to accept as plausible, that I felt compelled to read on. I was greatly relieved at the end that the two conspirators did not engaage in violent acts to wrest the money from each other. Congratulations on a thoroughly entertaianing book.

I heard your name andd book mentioned on National Public Radio as I drove along. The title of your book sounded intriguing to me. . . . Richard Diehl, Mozart Aficionado living in Vermont

Dan Leeson is well-known to readers of The Clarinet from the many articles he has contributed to the journal over the years. A retired IBM executive, he has also had a busy career as a performing clarinetist/bass clarinetist, and as a college math teacher in California. He has somehow found the time to become one of America’s leading Mozart scholars and has published articles in the Mozart Jahrbuch and is one of the editors for the Neue Mozart Ausgabe. It is, therefore, no surpise that this delightful work of fiction concerns both Mozart and the clarinet. According to Leeson, the book was written partly as a response to the move Amadeus. Although the movie was wonderfully entertaining and inspired many people to listen to and talk about Mozart (a good thing in itself), it was panned by critics for the many historical inaccuracies in the story. He decided to write a fictional book about Mozart that would be entertaining but that would also be completely accurate historically. In addition, it was to be an early entrant in the Mozart 250th anniversary celebration for 2006.

He has succeeded admirably on all counts. The book is readable and understandable by a non-musician, but a Mozart aficionado and, more particularly a clarinetist, will also find the book fascinating and difficult to put down.

The story has two basic characters, known only by their occupational names. Librarian, a manager of music manuscripts in the Special Collections of the Music Division of the New York Public Library at Lincoln Center, and Forger, a master forger who had so skillfully created counterfeit $100 bills that he was caught only after refusing to do additional counterfeiting for the mob, who the blew the whistle on him to the Treasury Department. The two have been friends since childhood and their joint caper will be to forge the original autographs of the Mozart clarinet concerto and the clarinet quintet, which every clarinetist knows have been lost since shortly after Mozart gave them to Anton Stadler. The payoff for this effort will be at least $20,000,000 at auction.

Leeson goes into great detail about the preparations that have to be made for this project, including making the proper paper, creating the correct ink, find the right type of bird for the quill pens, and reproducing the correct watermark. While all of this might sound somewhat boring and tedious, it is wonderfully fascinating and allows Leeson to present all sorts of information about the missing autographs, and eighteenth century music in general. The reader will not only be entertained but will also come away with much new-found knowledge and an appreciation of the difficulties of authenticating old music.

Lest the reader think that the knowledge and skill of the two perpetrators will make this venture a cakewalk, Leeson constantly introduces traps and pitfalls that seem sure to trip up even the most clever con-men. They not only have to fool the document experts with the physical autograph, but there is also the problem of what Mozart actually wrote for the clarinet, since the basset clarinet part that currently exists is to a large degree speculation. They are only small steps away from failure throughout the process, and the ingenious ways in which they solve the problems keep the reader on the edge until the final surprise twist at the end of the book. In the best tradition of mystery writing, there is even a murder included.

This book should be required reading for every clarinetist, if only for the historical material included. Delightfully, there is a great deal more here than simply another treatise on the history of the clarinet and its music, and Mozart would surely be laughing at the preposterous scheme that unfolds in Leeson’s skillful hands. One can hope that he is not done with fiction with this volume. Leeson has also recently published a marvelous book about the Mozart Requiem that will be of interest to many readers. More information about the books can be found at www.leesonbooks.com. Read this book tonight!! . . . Joseph Messenger, The Clarinet, Journal of the International Clarinet Society