12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fascinating picture of life in musical Vienna, February 2, 1997
By A Customer
This review is from: Beethoven: His Life, Work and World (Hardcover)
I approached this book with some trepidation, as I am not a fan of biography. Fortunately, this volume is much more than just a life of Beethoven- it is also a fascinating picture of the musical and social life of the Vienna of the early 19th century, with Mozart just dead, Haydn in his late, great years, and Beethoven the young lion of society. Although I call it a picture, it is more of a jigsaw, built as it is of snippets- letters, newspaper reports, bits of gossip, descriptions from contemporary accounts of all types. This has been skilfully done so that it does not feel fragmented, but rather forms a remarkably cogent whole.
Apart from the structure, the image of Beethoven that the book creates is also of interest. No misunderstood artist struggling in the garret here, but a young man celebrated by society, the associate of the aristocracy and suitor of several beauties. Yes, this degenerates to some extent as he becomes shut off by deafness and the desire to express more in his music, but he is clearly seen to have retained very strong support. This is a believable biography, and a very capable use of a difficult format.
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