The Mozart Hoax

The agency for the ARD series 'Mozart/Mozart' pretends to have glowing reviews. In reality, it's getting panned. FAZ's Jan Brachmann even sees a threat to democracy - rightly so!

, and Administrator

2025 December 20 . 2:10 PM

1 min read

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The Mozart Hoax

A new PR campaign for ARD’s Mozart/Mozart series has come under fire for misleading claims. The agency Spielkind sent a newsletter to film professionals, cherry-picking quotes to suggest positive reviews. In reality, some of the highlighted critiques were harshly negative.

One of the most vocal critics is Jan Brachmann from the *Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung* (FAZ). His review accused the series of historical inaccuracies, public deception, and even risks to democracy.

Spielkind’s newsletter presented quotes from major publications as praise for the ARD series. However, the Welt am Sonntag review, titled 'Mozart to Make You Cringe', actually slammed the show for its historical errors and poor quality. The agency also misrepresented Brachmann’s FAZ piece, which was a scathing critique rather than an endorsement.

Brachmann’s original article went further than just attacking the series’ accuracy. He argued that its misleading promotion could erode trust in public broadcasting. This, he warned, might benefit far-right groups like the AfD by weakening support for institutions like ARD. The FAZ critic also accused the show of patronising its audience. He claimed that such distortions not only mislead viewers but also undermine democratic values by spreading misinformation under the guise of entertainment.

The controversy highlights how selective quoting can distort public perception. Spielkind’s tactics have drawn attention to the series for the wrong reasons. Meanwhile, critics like Brachmann continue to stress the broader risks of historical inaccuracies in mainstream media.