The Dresden Manuscripts

Unearthing an 18th Century Musical Genius

By: David Wilson

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

A fascinating journey to rediscover the music of a composer who was lauded in his day yet forgotten soon after, The Dresden Manuscripts chronicles David Wilson's 30-year quest to locate, reconstruct, and perform the music of Johann Adolf Hasse, a composer who, along with his equally famous wife, mezzo-soprano Faustina Bordoni, had close personal associations with Bach, Handel, Mozart, Haydn, and Gluck.

©2014 David Wilson. Lux Aeterna by Morten Lauridsen. © 1997 by Southern Music Publishing Co., Inc. Used by permission. (P)2015 Skyboat Media, Inc.

History, music, and a personal story

The book moved right along: a window on the past in eastern Europe, insight into the life of an academic musician, historical notes on the baroque and classical periods in music, and a wonderful travel log. At times the author seemed to whine a bit, at others he tried to act the saint. The reader was not my favorite. But I still recommend this book, especially if you plan to visit Dresden or Vienna.

Fascinating

Intriguing tale of finding a lost musical genius and a personal journey of hard work and ingenuity to fulfill a dream.