Customer Reviews

Beethoven and His World

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Given the range and breadth of Western music, it is astonishing how often we fall back on the work of this German dude from the late 18th, early 19th century. Many people who find Western art music a snore have Beethoven records in their collection, and the complex mythology that has grown up around the composer and his works barely accounts for how often his works are played. This book, which grew out of a festival of Beethoven's works, provides some really fascinating material. My three favorite essays explored Beethoven and the concept of masculinity (he's typically considered a "masculine" composer for complex reasons), the reason for Beethoven's "scowl" (I won't give it away, but it's amazing), and a long thoughtful reflection on how Beethoven's image was shaped by his death in Vienna, and the public response to that event. If you want a standard bio of LvB, there are plenty of good ones out there. These essays give some non-standard perspectives on the most revered composer in Western culture, and may help you understand why people feel that way about him.