Book
Beethoven : a life in nine pieces / Laura Tunbridge.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780300254587
- ISBN: 030025458X
- Physical Description: xii, 276 pages : illustrations, maps, portraits, facsimiles ; 23 cm
- Publisher: New Haven ; Yale University Press, 2020.
- Copyright: ©2020.
Content descriptions
| General Note: | "Original edition first published by Penguin Books Ltd, London."--Title page verso. |
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Formatted Contents Note: | Introduction: Beginnings -- Success: Septet, op. 20 (1800) -- Friends: Violin sonata no. 9, op. 47, the 'Kreutzer' (1803) -- Heroism: Symphony no. 3, op. 55, the 'Eroica' (1804) -- Ambition: Choral fantasy, op. 80 (1808) -- Love: 'An die Geliebte', WoO 140 (1812) -- Liberty: Fidelio, op. 72 (1814) -- Family: Piano sonata no. 29, op. 106, the 'Hammerklavier' (1818) -- Spirit: Missa solemnis, op. 123 (1823) -- Endings: String quartet, op. 130, the the 'Grosse Fuge', op. 133 (1826). |
| Summary, etc.: | The iconic image of Beethoven is of him as a lone genius: hair wild, fists clenched, and brow furrowed. Beethoven may well have shaped the music of the future, but he was also a product of his time, influenced by the people, politics, and culture around him. Oxford scholar Laura Tunbridge offers an alternative history of Beethoven's career, placing his music in contexts that shed light on why particular pieces are valued more than others, and what this tells us about his larger-than-life reputation. Each chapter focuses on a period of his life, a piece of music, and a revealing theme, from family to friends, from heroism to liberty. We discover, along the way, Beethoven's unusual marketing strategies, his ambitious concert programming, and how specific performers and instruments influenced his works. This book offers new ways to understand Beethoven and why his music continues to be valued today. |
Search for related items by subject
| Genre: | Biographies. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at GRPL.
