Reminiscences of Michael Kelly

What it is

This is a two-volume memoir written by the Irish singer Michael Kelly, published in 1826. Kelly worked alongside Mozart in Vienna and later performed in London, and his book recalls many people he met, including original anecdotes about distinguished musicians and public figures.

Why it matters

Because Kelly actually knew Mozart and worked with him, his memoir is a rare firsthand account of Mozart's personality and working life, written by someone outside the composer's own family and letters. It helps historians check and add to what Mozart wrote about himself.

Look closer

• Why might a performer's memory of events differ from the composer's own letters?
• What does Kelly choose to tell us about, and what might he have left out?
• How reliable is a memoir written many years after the events it describes?