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亘鬲賴賵賵賳貙 亘蹖鈥屬矩必�
Beethoven scholar and classical radio host John Suchet has had a lifelong, ardent interest in the man and his music. Here, in his first full-length biography, Suchet illuminates the composer鈥檚 difficult childhood, his struggle to maintain friendships and romances, his ungovernable temper, his obsessive efforts to control his nephew鈥檚 life, and the excruciating decline of his hearing. This absorbing narrative provides a comprehensive account of a momentous life, as it takes the reader on a journey from the composer鈥檚 birth in Bonn to his death in Vienna.
Chronicling the landmark events in Beethoven's career鈥攆rom his competitive encounters with Mozart to the circumstances surrounding the creation of the well-known F眉r Elise and Moonlight Sonata鈥攖his book enhances understanding of the composer's character, inspiring a deeper appreciation for his work. Beethoven scholarship is constantly evolving, and Suchet draws on the latest research, using rare source material (some of which has never before been published in English) to paint a complete and vivid portrait of the legendary prodigy.
Chronicling the landmark events in Beethoven's career鈥攆rom his competitive encounters with Mozart to the circumstances surrounding the creation of the well-known F眉r Elise and Moonlight Sonata鈥攖his book enhances understanding of the composer's character, inspiring a deeper appreciation for his work. Beethoven scholarship is constantly evolving, and Suchet draws on the latest research, using rare source material (some of which has never before been published in English) to paint a complete and vivid portrait of the legendary prodigy.
377 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2012
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About the author
John Suchet
29听books25听followersJohn Suchet presents Classic FM's flagship morning programme. His informative style of presentation, coupled with a deep knowledge of classical music, has won a wide spectrum of new listeners to the station. Before turning to classical music, John was one of the UK's best known television newscasters, regularly presenting ITN's flagship News at Ten, as well as all other bulletins, over a period of nearly 20 years. John has been honoured for both roles. He is the author of several bestselling composer biographies, including Beethoven: The Man Revealed.
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November 21, 2019
"This was the decade in which the Enlightenment was sweeping Europe, questioning the divine order of things, the God-given right of rulers to rule鈥攊deals and philosophies that were to come to such a terrifying climax in France, in just a few years time."
An eccentric man, Beethoven, with extremely problematic demeanour, difficult in his collaborations, selfish and stubborn to the point of exhaustion - Suchet apparently does not make a hagiography and uses several of the available sources, and at some point his imagination to convey some facts - which, although I confess I did not particularly like - I must admit that with this technique he was able to give more vividness to his text.
Beethoven lived an extremely creative and very tortured life. His musical heritage is fundamental, however, this book focuses mainly on the man behind the musical masterpieces, and references to his major works are pretty much abbreviated.
O Beethoven 苇味畏蟽蔚 渭喂伪 蔚尉伪喂蟻蔚蟿喂魏维 未畏渭喂慰蠀蟻纬喂魏萎 魏伪喂 蟽蠀谓维渭伪 蟺慰位蠉 尾伪蟽伪谓喂蟽渭苇谓畏 味蠅萎. 螚 渭慰蠀蟽喂魏萎 魏位畏蟻慰谓慰渭喂维 蟿慰蠀 蔚委谓伪喂 胃蔚渭蔚位喂蠋未畏蟼, 蠅蟽蟿蠈蟽慰 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰 蔚蟽蟿喂维味蔚喂 魏蠀蟻委蠅蟼 蟽蟿慰谓 维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰 蟺委蟽蠅 伪蟺蠈 蟿伪 渭慰蠀蟽喂魏维 伪蟻喂蟽蟿慰蠀蟻纬萎渭伪蟿伪 魏伪喂 慰喂 伪谓伪蠁慰蟻苇蟼 蟽蟿伪 魏蠀蟻喂蠈蟿蔚蟻伪 苇蟻纬伪 蟿慰蠀 蔚委谓伪喂 蟽蠂蔚未蠈谓 蟽蠀谓蟿慰渭慰纬蟻伪蠁喂魏苇蟼.
螆谓伪蟼 维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰蟼 蔚魏魏蔚谓蟿蟻喂魏蠈蟼, 慰 Beethoven, 渭蔚 蔚尉伪喂蟻蔚蟿喂魏维 蟺蟻慰尾位畏渭伪蟿喂魏萎 蟽蠀渭蟺蔚蟻喂蠁慰蟻维, 未蠉蟽魏慰位慰蟼 蟽蟿喂蟼 蟽蠀谓蔚蟻纬伪蟽委蔚蟼 蟿慰蠀, 蔚纬蠅喂蟽蟿萎蟼 魏伪喂 渭慰谓慰渭伪谓萎蟼, 伪谓蠀蟺蠈蠁慰蟻慰蟼 魏伪喂 蔚蟺委渭慰谓慰蟼 蟽蔚 蟽畏渭蔚委慰 蔚尉慰蠀胃苇谓蠅蟽畏蟼 - 慰 Suchet 蟺蟻慰蠁伪谓蠋蟼 未蔚谓 魏维谓蔚喂 伪纬喂慰纬蟻伪蠁委伪. 围蟻畏蟽喂渭慰蟺慰喂蔚委 伪蟻魏蔚蟿苇蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿喂蟼 未喂伪胃苇蟽喂渭蔚蟼 蟺畏纬苇蟼 魏伪喂 蟽蔚 魏维蟺慰喂伪 蟽畏渭蔚委伪 蟽蠀渭蟺位畏蟻蠋谓蔚喂 萎 伪谓伪蟺伪蟻喂蟽蟿维 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 蠁伪谓蟿伪蟽委伪 蟿慰蠀 魏维蟺慰喂伪 纬蔚纬慰谓蠈蟿伪 - 蟿慰 慰蟺慰委慰 伪谓 魏伪喂 慰渭慰位慰纬蠋 蟺蠅蟼 未蔚谓 渭慰蠀 维蟻蔚蟽蔚 喂未喂伪委蟿蔚蟻伪 - 慰蠁蔚委位蠅 谓伪 蟺伪蟻伪未蔚蠂蟿蠋 蟺蠅蟼 渭蔚 伪蠀蟿萎谓 蟿畏谓 蟿蔚蠂谓喂魏萎 魏伪蟿维蠁蔚蟻蔚 谓伪 未蠋蟽蔚喂 蟺蔚蟻喂蟽蟽蠈蟿蔚蟻畏 味蠅谓蟿维谓喂伪 魏伪喂 蟺伪蟻伪蟽蟿伪蟿喂魏蠈蟿畏蟿伪 蟽蟿慰 魏蔚委渭蔚谓蠈 蟿慰蠀.
惟蟽蟿蠈蟽慰 伪蠀蟿萎 畏 渭苇胃慰未慰蟼 未委谓蔚喂 蟺蔚蟻喂蟽蟽蠈蟿蔚蟻慰 蠂蠋蟻慰 纬喂伪 蠈位伪 蠈蟽伪 慰 蟺喂蟽蟿蔚蠉蔚喂 萎 蠀蟺慰胃苇蟿蔚喂 萎 蔚蟻渭畏谓蔚蠉蔚喂 慰 尾喂慰纬蟻维蠁慰蟼, 蟽蠉渭蠁蠅谓伪 渭蔚 蟿喂蟼 谓慰慰蟿蟻慰蟺委蔚蟼 魏伪喂 蟿喂蟼 蟺蟻慰蟽位伪渭尾维谓慰蠀蟽蔚蟼 蟿畏蟼 未喂魏萎蟼 渭伪蟼 蔚蟺慰蠂萎蟼, 魏伪喂 伪蟺慰渭伪魏蟻蠉谓蔚蟿伪喂 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰谓 魏伪胃伪蠀蟿蠈 蟺蠀蟻萎谓伪 蟿蠅谓 纬蔚纬慰谓蠈蟿蠅谓 蠈蟺蠅蟼 蔚魏蔚委谓伪 蔚尉蔚位委蠂胃畏魏伪谓 萎 未喂伪渭慰蟻蠁蠋胃畏魏伪谓 未喂伪魏蠈蟽喂伪 魏伪喂 蟺位苇慰谓 蠂蟻蠈谓喂伪 蟺蟻喂谓. 危蔚 渭喂伪 魏慰喂谓蠅谓委伪 蠈蟺慰蠀 蔚委蠂蔚 未喂伪蠁慰蟻蔚蟿喂魏苇蟼 未慰渭苇蟼, 萎胃畏, 谓慰慰蟿蟻慰蟺委蔚蟼, 伪喂蟽胃畏蟿喂魏萎, 伪谓维纬魏蔚蟼 魏伪喂 蟺蟻慰蟿蔚蟻伪喂蠈蟿畏蟿蔚蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏 蟽蠉纬蠂蟻慰谓畏.
韦蔚位喂魏维 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰 渭蔚 苇魏伪谓蔚 谓伪 胃苇位蠅 谓伪 伪魏慰蠉蟽蠅 蟺蔚蟻喂蟽蟽蠈蟿蔚蟻慰 Beethoven, 魏伪喂 谓伪 未喂伪尾维味蠅 蟺蔚蟻喂蟽蟽蠈蟿蔚蟻伪 纬喂伪 蟿慰谓 Beethoven, 纬喂 伪蠀蟿蠈 魏伪蟿苇位畏尉伪 蟺蠅蟼 渭蔚位位慰谓蟿喂魏蠋蟼 胃伪 未喂伪尾维蟽蠅 蟿慰 Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph 蟿慰蠀 Jan Swafford, 蟿慰 慰蟺慰委慰 蠁伪委谓蔚蟿伪喂 蟺蠅蟼 蔚委谓伪喂 蟺位畏蟻苇蟽蟿蔚蟻慰 魏伪喂 伪蟺慰蠁蔚蠉纬蔚喂 蟿喂蟼 蔚喂魏伪蟽委蔚蟼 蟺慰蠀 渭蟺慰蟻蔚委 谓伪 慰未畏纬萎蟽慰蠀谓 蟽蔚 维蟽魏慰蟺蔚蟼 蟺伪蟻蔚蟻渭畏谓蔚委蔚蟼.
惟蟽蟿蠈蟽慰 伪魏蠈渭伪 魏伪喂 渭蔚 伪蠀蟿维 蟿伪 渭蔚喂慰谓蔚魏蟿萎渭伪蟿伪, 慰 Suchet 纬蟻维蠁蔚喂 苇谓伪 蔚尉伪喂蟻蔚蟿喂魏维 蔚蠀蠂维蟻喂蟽蟿慰 魏伪喂 蔚蠀魏慰位慰未喂维尾伪蟽蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰 蟺慰蠀 尉蔚蟿蠀位委纬蔚蟿伪喂 蟽伪谓 渭蠀胃喂蟽蟿蠈蟻畏渭伪 魏伪喂 蠁蠅蟿委味蔚喂 魏维蟺慰喂伪 伪蟺蠈 蟿伪 渭蔚纬维位伪 渭蠀蟽蟿萎蟻喂伪 蟺慰蠀 蟽蠀谓未苇慰谓蟿伪喂 渭蔚 伪蠀蟿蠈谓 蟿慰谓 蟽蟺慰蠀未伪喂蠈蟿伪蟿慰 蟽蠀谓胃苇蟿畏.
螣 Beethoven, 蟺慰蠀 蟿慰谓 伪蟺慰魏伪位慰蠉蟽伪谓 蟺蔚蟻喂蟺伪喂魏蟿喂魏维 "危蟺伪谓喂蠈位慰" (der Spagnol)位蠈纬蠅 蟿畏蟼 蟽魏慰蠉蟻伪蟼 蔚蟺喂未蔚蟻渭委未伪蟼 蟿慰蠀, 萎蟿伪谓 维蟽蠂畏渭慰蟼, 伪蟿畏渭苇位畏蟿慰蟼, 慰尉蠉胃蠀渭慰蟼 魏伪喂 蟺蔚喂蟽渭伪蟿维蟻畏蟼, 纬喂慰蟼 蔚谓蠈蟼 伪位魏慰慰位喂魏慰蠉 魏伪喂 尾委伪喂慰蠀 蟺伪蟿苇蟻伪 蟺慰蠀 蟿慰蠀 蟽蟿苇蟻畏蟽蔚 蟿畏 未蠀谓伪蟿蠈蟿畏蟿伪 谓伪 伪蟺慰魏蟿萎蟽蔚喂 渭喂伪 蟽蟿慰喂蠂蔚喂蠋未畏 蟺伪喂未蔚委伪 魏伪喂 蟿慰谓 苇蟽蟺蟻蠅尉蔚 伪蟺蠈 渭喂魏蟻萎 畏位喂魏委伪 蟽蟿畏 渭慰蠀蟽喂魏萎 蟺蟻慰魏蔚喂渭苇谓慰蠀 谓伪 蟿慰谓 蔚魏渭蔚蟿伪位位蔚蠀蟿蔚委 慰喂魏慰谓慰渭喂魏维. 螕蔚谓谓萎胃畏魏蔚 魏伪喂 渭蔚纬维位蠅蟽蔚 蟽蟿畏 螔蠈谓谓畏, 蟽蔚 苇谓伪 蟽蟺喂蟿喂魏蠈 蠈蟺慰蠀 慰喂 魏伪蠀纬维未蔚蟼, 慰喂 胃维谓伪蟿慰喂 魏伪喂 畏 蠁蟿蠋蠂蔚喂伪 萎蟿伪谓 渭苇蟻慰蟼 蟿慰蠀 魏伪胃畏渭蔚蟻喂谓慰蠉 蟺蟻慰纬蟻维渭渭伪蟿慰蟼. 惟蟽蟿蠈蟽慰 蟺慰位位慰委 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰蠀蟼 未喂伪谓慰慰蠉渭蔚谓慰蠀蟼 魏伪喂 蟿慰蠀蟼 蟺慰位喂蟿喂魏慰蠉蟼 蟺伪蟻维纬慰谓蟿蔚蟼 蟿畏蟼 蟺蔚蟻喂慰蠂萎蟼, 蟽蟿萎蟻喂尉伪谓 慰位蠈蠄蠀蠂伪 蟿慰 谓蔚伪蟻蠈 伪纬蠈蟻喂 魏伪喂 蟿慰谓 尾慰萎胃畏蟽伪谓 谓伪 蟽蟿伪胃蔚委 蟽蟿伪 蟺蠈未喂伪 蟿慰蠀 魏伪喂 谓伪 尉蔚蠁蠉纬蔚喂 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰 蟺蟻慰尾位畏渭伪蟿喂魏蠈 蟺蔚蟻喂尾维位位慰谓.
螝维蟺蠅蟼 苇蟿蟽喂 魏伪蟿伪位萎纬蔚喂 蟽蔚 谓蔚伪蟻萎 畏位喂魏委伪 蟽蟿畏 渭慰蠀蟽喂魏萎 蟺蟻蠅蟿蔚蠉慰蠀蟽伪 蟿慰蠀 魏蠈蟽渭慰蠀, 蟿畏 螔喂苇谓谓畏. 螠慰蠀蟽喂魏维 未喂伪蟺蟻苇蟺蔚喂, 伪位位维 畏 蟺蟻慰蟽蠅蟺喂魏萎 蟿慰蠀 味蠅萎 魏伪蟿伪蟿蟻蠉蠂蔚蟿伪喂 伪蟺蠈 渭喂伪 蟽蔚喂蟻维 伪蟺慰蟻蟻委蠄蔚蠅谓 蟺慰蠀 蟿慰蠀 魏慰蟽蟿委味慰蠀谓 蟽蠀谓伪喂蟽胃畏渭伪蟿喂魏维 魏伪喂 蟽蟿伪未喂伪魏维 蟿慰谓 渭蔚蟿伪渭慰蟻蠁蠋谓慰蠀谓 蟽蟿慰谓 渭喂蟽维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰, 蟽蟿蟻喂渭渭苇谓慰, 纬魏蟻喂谓喂维蟻畏 魏伪喂 蟺蔚喂蟽渭伪蟿维蟻畏 纬苇蟻慰 蟺伪蟻维尉蔚谓慰 蟺慰蠀 未喂伪蟽蠋味蔚蟿伪喂 渭苇蟽伪 伪蟺蠈 蟿喂蟼 渭伪蟻蟿蠀蟻委蔚蟼 蟿蠅谓 蟽蠀纬魏伪喂蟻喂谓蠋谓 蟿慰蠀, 渭蔚 渭喂伪 未蠈蟽畏 魏慰蠀蟿蟽慰渭蟺慰位喂慰蠉 魏伪喂 蠀蟺蔚蟻尾慰位萎蟼 蟺蟻慰蠁伪谓蠋蟼. 螕喂伪蟿委 蟽伪谓 魏伪位位喂蟿苇蠂谓畏蟼 慰 Beethoven 蟺维谓蟿伪 苇蠄伪蠂谓蔚 纬喂伪 渭喂伪 渭慰蠉蟽伪. 螘委蠂蔚 伪谓维纬魏畏 谓伪 蔚委谓伪喂 蔚蟻蠅蟿蔚蠀渭苇谓慰蟼 纬喂伪 谓伪 未畏渭喂慰蠀蟻纬萎蟽蔚喂, 纬喂伪 谓伪 蔚渭蟺谓蔚蠀蟽蟿蔚委 魏伪喂 谓伪 蟽蠀谓胃苇蟽蔚喂. 螝维蟺慰喂伪 伪蟺蠈 蟿伪 蟺喂慰 蠅蟻伪委伪 魏伪喂 未畏渭慰蠁喂位萎 苇蟻纬伪 蟿慰蠀 蟿伪 苇纬蟻伪蠄蔚 纬喂伪 蟿喂蟼 纬蠀谓伪委魏蔚蟼 蟺慰蠀 蔚蟻蠅蟿蔚蠉蟿畏魏蔚 蠂蠅蟻委蟼 伪谓蟿伪蟺蠈魏蟻喂蟽畏 蠈蟺蠅蟼 蟺蠂 蟿慰 魏伪喂 蟿慰 .
螝伪喂 纬喂伪蟿委 蟿慰谓 伪蟺苇蟻蟻喂蟺蟿伪谓 慰喂 纬蠀谓伪委魏蔚蟼; 螖蔚谓 萎蟿伪谓 蠅蟻伪委慰蟼, 未蔚谓 萎蟿伪谓 蟺位慰蠉蟽喂慰蟼, 未蔚谓 蔚委蠂蔚 蔚蠀纬蔚谓喂魏萎 魏伪蟿伪纬蠅纬萎 (van 伪谓蟿委 纬喂伪 von) 魏伪喂 伪蟺蠈 蟺慰位蠉 谓苇慰蟼 蠀蟺苇蠁蔚蟻蔚 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 蟺喂慰 魏伪蟿伪蟽蟿蟻慰蠁喂魏萎 伪谓伪蟺畏蟻委伪 蟺慰蠀 胃伪 渭蟺慰蟻慰蠉蟽蔚 谓伪 蟿慰蠀 蟿蠉蠂蔚喂 蟽蔚 蟽蠂苇蟽畏 渭蔚 蟿慰 蔚蟺维纬纬蔚位渭维 蟿慰蠀: 螁蟻蠂喂蟽蔚 伪蟺蠈 谓蔚伪蟻萎 畏位喂魏委伪 谓伪 蠂维谓蔚喂 蟿畏谓 伪魏慰萎 蟿慰蠀...
危蔚 畏位喂魏委伪 31 蔚蟿蠋谓 纬蟻维蠁蔚喂 苇谓伪 魏蔚委渭蔚谓慰 蟺慰蠀 蟽蠋味蔚蟿伪喂 蟽蟿喂蟼 畏渭苇蟻蔚蟼 渭伪蟼 蠅蟼 畏 "螖喂伪胃萎魏畏" 蟿慰蠀, 蠈蟺慰蠀 蟺蔚蟻喂纬蟻维蠁蔚喂 渭蔚 蟽蟺伪蟻伪魏蟿喂魏蠈 蟿蟻蠈蟺慰 蟿喂蟼 蟽蠀谓苇蟺蔚喂蔚蟼 蟿畏蟼 伪谓伪蟺畏蟻委伪蟼 蟿慰蠀:
"螌位慰喂 蔚蟽蔚委蟼 慰喂 维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰喂 蟺慰蠀 位苇蟿蔚 蟺蠅蟼 蔚委渭伪喂 蔚蠂胃蟻喂魏蠈蟼 伪蟺苇谓伪谓蟿委 蟽伪蟼 萎 蟺蠅蟼 蔚委渭伪喂 蟽蟿蟻喂渭渭苇谓慰蟼 萎 蟺蠅蟼 渭喂蟽蠋 蟿畏谓 伪谓胃蟻蠅蟺蠈蟿畏蟿伪 未蔚谓 魏伪蟿伪位伪尾伪委谓蔚蟿蔚 蟺蠈蟽慰 渭蔚 苇蠂蔚蟿蔚 蟺伪蟻蔚尉畏纬萎蟽蔚喂. 螡慰渭委味蔚蟿蔚 蟺蠅蟼 魏伪蟿伪位伪尾伪委谓蔚蟿蔚 伪位位维 未蔚谓 尉苇蟻蔚蟿蔚 蟿畏 渭蠀蟽蟿喂魏萎 伪喂蟿委伪 蟺慰蠀 渭蔚 魏维谓蔚喂 谓伪 蠁伪委谓慰渭伪喂 苇蟿蟽喂. 螒蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 蟺伪喂未喂魏萎 畏位喂魏委伪 渭慰蠀 畏 魏伪蟻未喂维 魏喂 慰 谓慰蠀蟼 渭慰蠀 苇魏位喂谓伪谓 渭蠈谓慰 蟺蟻慰蟼 蟿畏谓 蟿蟻蠀蠁蔚蟻蠈蟿畏蟿伪 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 魏伪位萎 未喂维胃蔚蟽畏. 韦慰 萎尉蔚蟻伪 蟺蠅蟼 萎渭慰蠀谓 蟺蟻慰慰蟻喂蟽渭苇谓慰蟼 纬喂伪 蟽蟺慰蠀未伪委伪 蟺蟻维纬渭伪蟿伪.
螒位位维 伪谓伪位慰纬喂蟽蟿蔚委蟿蔚 蟿慰 蔚尉萎蟼: 韦伪 蟿蔚位蔚蠀蟿伪委伪 苇尉喂 蠂蟻蠈谓喂伪 蠀蟺慰蠁苇蟻蠅 伪蟺蠈 渭喂伪 蠁蟻喂蠂蟿萎 蟺维胃畏蟽畏, 蟺慰蠀 渭慰蠀 蟿畏谓 蠂蔚喂蟻慰蟿苇蟻蔚蠄伪谓 慰喂 维蟽蠂蔚蟿慰喂 纬喂伪蟿蟻慰委 魏喂 蔚谓蠋 萎位蟺喂味伪 蟺蠅蟼 渭蔚 蟿慰谓 蠂蟻蠈谓慰 胃伪 未喂慰蟻胃蠅胃蔚委 蟽蟿慰 蟿苇位慰蟼 魏伪蟿维位伪尾伪 蟺蠅蟼 蔚委蠂伪 尉蔚纬蔚位伪蟽蟿蔚委 蟺蠅蟼 苇蟺蟻蔚蟺蔚 谓伪 伪谓蟿喂渭蔚蟿蠅蟺委蟽蠅 蟿畏谓 蟺蟻慰慰蟺蟿喂魏萎 渭喂伪蟼 伪谓委伪蟿畏蟼 伪蟽胃苇谓蔚喂伪蟼 (萎 苇蟽蟿蠅 蟺蠅蟼 胃伪 蠂蟻蔚喂伪蟽蟿慰蠉谓 蠂蟻蠈谓喂伪 纬喂伪 谓伪 胃蔚蟻伪蟺蔚蠀蟿蠋 魏伪喂 委蟽蠅蟼 伪蠀蟿蠈 谓伪 渭畏 蟽蠀渭尾蔚委 蟺慰蟿苇).
螕蔚谓谓萎胃畏魏伪 渭蔚 苇谓伪谓 蟺伪胃喂伪蟽渭苇谓慰 魏伪喂 味蠅畏蟻蠈 蠂伪蟻伪魏蟿萎蟻伪 伪位位维 伪蟺蠈 谓蔚伪蟻萎 畏位喂魏委伪 蠀蟺慰蠂蟻蔚蠋胃畏魏伪 谓伪 伪蟺慰魏蠈蠄蠅 蟿慰蠀蟼 未蔚蟽渭慰蠉蟼 渭慰蠀 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 魏慰喂谓蠅谓委伪 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 蟺慰喂魏喂位慰渭慰蟻蠁委伪 蟿畏蟼 魏伪喂 谓伪 味萎蟽蠅 伪蟺慰渭慰谓蠅渭苇谓慰蟼. 螝喂 蠈蟺慰蟿蔚 蔚蟺喂胃蠀渭慰蠉蟽伪 未喂伪魏伪蠋蟼 谓伪 尉蔚蠁蠉纬蠅 伪蟺蠈 伪蠀蟿蠈, 蠅 蟺蠈蟽慰 蟽魏位畏蟻维 苇蟺蟻蔚蟺蔚 谓伪 蟺伪位苇蠄蠅 蔚谓维谓蟿喂伪 蟽蟿喂蟼 蟿蟻慰渭蔚蟻苇蟼 蟽蠀谓苇蟺蔚喂蔚蟼 蟿畏蟼 蠂伪渭苇谓畏蟼 伪魏慰萎蟼 渭慰蠀. 螝伪喂 未蔚谓 萎渭慰蠀谓 伪魏蠈渭伪 蟽蔚 胃苇蟽畏 谓伪 渭蟺慰蟻蠋 谓伪 蟺蠅 蟽蟿慰蠀蟼 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺慰蠀蟼 "螠委位伪 未蠀谓伪蟿蠈蟿蔚蟻伪, 蠁蠋谓伪尉蔚, 纬喂伪蟿委 蔚委渭伪喂 魏慰蠀蠁蠈蟼".
惟蟽蟿蠈蟽慰 蟺伪蟻维 蟿畏谓 伪谓伪蟺畏蟻委伪 蟿慰蠀 蟽蠀谓苇蠂喂蟽蔚 谓伪 伪魏慰蠉蟽蔚喂 蟿畏 渭慰蠀蟽喂魏萎 渭苇蟽伪 蟽蟿慰 渭蠀伪位蠈 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 蠄蠀蠂萎 蟿慰蠀. 螝伪喂 蠈蠂喂 渭蠈谓慰 伪蠀蟿蠈. 螝维蟺慰喂伪 蟽蟿喂纬渭萎, 蟽蔚 渭蔚纬伪位蠉蟿蔚蟻畏 畏位喂魏委伪 尾蟻萎魏蔚 蟿慰谓 苇蟻蠅蟿伪, 尾蟻萎魏蔚 伪谓蟿伪蟺蠈魏蟻喂蟽畏 蟽蔚 渭喂伪 渭蠀蟽蟿畏蟻喂蠋未畏 纬蠀谓伪委魏伪, 蟿畏蟼 慰蟺慰委伪蟼 畏 蟿伪蠀蟿蠈蟿畏蟿伪 未蔚谓 蟽蠋味蔚蟿伪喂 蟺苇蟻伪 伪蟺蠈 渭喂伪 蔚蟻蠅蟿喂魏萎 蔚蟺喂蟽蟿慰位萎 蟺慰蠀 未蔚谓 蔚蟽蟿维位畏 蟺慰蟿苇, 畏 慰蟺慰委伪 尾蟻苇胃畏魏蔚 渭蔚蟿维 蟿慰谓 胃维谓伪蟿慰 蟿慰蠀 蟽蠀谓胃苇蟿畏 伪谓维渭蔚蟽伪 蟽蟿伪 蟺蟻慰蟽蠅蟺喂魏维 蟿慰蠀 伪谓蟿喂魏蔚委渭蔚谓伪. 螘委谓伪喂 畏 "螒胃维谓伪蟿畏 伪纬伪蟺畏渭苇谓畏" (Unsterbliche Geliebte):
"螡伪 尉苇蟻蔚喂蟼 蟺蠅蟼 蟽慰蠀 蔚委渭伪喂 蟺喂蟽蟿蠈蟼, 蟺蠅蟼 蟺慰蟿苇 魏伪渭委伪 维位位畏 纬蠀谓伪委魏伪 未蔚谓 胃伪 苇蠂蔚喂 蟿畏谓 魏伪蟻未喂维 渭慰蠀 - 蟺慰蟿苇, 蟺慰蟿苇 - 惟 胃蔚苇 渭慰蠀, 纬喂伪蟿委 蟺蟻苇蟺蔚喂 谓伪 蔚委渭伪蟽蟿蔚 蟿蠈蟽慰 渭伪魏蟻喂维 伪蟺蠈 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟺慰蠀 伪纬伪蟺维渭蔚;"
螘委谓伪喂 渭喂伪 蔚蟺喂蟽蟿慰位萎, 蟽蟿畏谓 慰蟺慰委伪 蟺蟻慰纬蟻伪渭渭伪蟿委味蔚喂 渭喂伪 渭蠀蟽蟿喂魏萎 蟽蠀谓维谓蟿畏蟽畏 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 伪纬伪蟺畏渭苇谓畏 蟿慰蠀, 纬蔚渭维蟿畏 蟺维胃慰蟼 魏伪喂 伪蟺蔚位蟺喂蟽委伪. 螤蟻慰蠁伪谓蠋蟼 蔚蟺蟻蠈魏蔚喂蟿慰 纬喂伪 渭喂伪 蟺伪谓蟿蟻蔚渭苇谓畏 纬蠀谓伪委魏伪, 纬喂蝿 伪蠀蟿蠈 蠁蟻蠈谓蟿喂蟽蔚 谓伪 渭畏谓 未喂伪蟻蟻蔚蠉蟽蔚喂 蟿慰 蠈谓慰渭维 蟿畏蟼, 纬喂伪 谓伪 渭畏谓 蟿畏谓 蔚魏胃苇蟽蔚喂. 螒蟺蠈 蟿蠈蟿蔚 苇蠂慰蠀谓 纬委谓蔚喂 蟺慰位位苇蟼 蔚喂魏伪蟽委蔚蟼 纬喂伪 蟿畏谓 蟿伪蠀蟿蠈蟿畏蟿维 蟿畏蟼. 螒位位维 蠈蟺慰喂伪 魏伪喂 谓伪 萎蟿伪谓 蔚魏蔚委谓畏 畏 渭慰蠉蟽伪, 畏 伪位畏胃喂谓萎, 伪喂蠋谓喂伪 魏伪喂 伪胃维谓伪蟿畏 伪纬伪蟺畏渭苇谓畏 蟿慰蠀 Beethoven, 畏 渭蠈谓畏 蟺喂蟽蟿萎 伪纬维蟺畏 蟺慰蠀 蟺慰蟿苇 未蔚谓 蟿慰谓 蟺蟻蠈未蠅蟽蔚 蠅蟼 蟿慰 蟿苇位慰蟼 蟿畏蟼 味蠅萎蟼 蟿慰蠀, 萎蟿伪谓 畏 委未喂伪 畏 螠慰蠀蟽喂魏萎. 螒蠀蟿萎 蔚委谓伪喂 畏 胃蔚渭蔚位喂蠋未畏蟼 蟺伪蟻伪魏伪蟿伪胃萎魏畏 蟿慰蠀, 畏 螒胃维谓伪蟿畏 魏位畏蟻慰谓慰渭喂维 蟿慰蠀.
危伪谓 维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰蟼 蠀蟺苇蠁蔚蟻蔚 蟽蠀蠂谓维 伪蟺蠈 蟿喂蟼 喂未喂慰蟿蟻慰蟺委蔚蟼 蟿慰蠀, 蟽蔚 蟽畏渭蔚委慰 纬蔚位慰喂慰蟺慰委畏蟽畏蟼. 螘蟺委蟽畏蟼 苇魏伪谓蔚 苇谓伪 渭慰喂蟻伪委慰 位维胃慰蟼, 蠈蟿伪谓 蟺蔚喂蟽渭伪蟿喂魏维 伪谓苇位伪尾蔚 蟿畏谓 魏畏未蔚渭慰谓委伪 蟿慰蠀 伪谓喂蠄喂慰蠉 蟿慰蠀, 蔚谓蠋 萎蟿伪谓 伪魏伪蟿维位位畏位慰蟼 纬喂伪 蟿慰谓 蟻蠈位慰 蟿慰蠀 纬慰谓苇伪. 螒位位维 蠅蟼 未畏渭喂慰蠀蟻纬蠈蟼 蔚委谓伪喂 伪尉蔚蟺苇蟻伪蟽蟿慰蟼. 螣喂 蟿蔚位蔚蠀蟿伪委蔚蟼 谓蠈蟿蔚蟼 蟺慰蠀 苇纬蟻伪蠄蔚 蟺蟻喂谓 蟺蔚胃维谓蔚喂, 蔚委谓伪喂 苇谓伪蟼 渭喂魏蟻蠈蟼 魏伪谓蠈谓伪蟼 蔚蟺维谓蠅 蟽蟿畏 蠁蟻维蟽畏 "蠈位慰喂 蟽蠁维位位慰蠀渭蔚 伪位位维 慰 魏伪胃苇谓伪蟼 渭蔚 未喂伪蠁慰蟻蔚蟿喂魏蠈 蟿蟻蠈蟺慰":
螝伪蟿苇位畏尉伪 谓伪 谓喂蠋胃蠅 蟿蠈蟽慰 尾伪胃喂维 伪纬维蟺畏 魏伪喂 蟽蠀渭蟺蠈谓喂伪 纬喂伪 蟿慰谓 维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰 Beethoven 蠈蟽慰 尾伪胃蠉 胃伪蠀渭伪蟽渭蠈 魏伪喂 未苇慰蟼 谓喂蠋胃蠅 纬喂伪 蟿畏 渭慰蠀蟽喂魏萎 蟿慰蠀.
An eccentric man, Beethoven, with extremely problematic demeanour, difficult in his collaborations, selfish and stubborn to the point of exhaustion - Suchet apparently does not make a hagiography and uses several of the available sources, and at some point his imagination to convey some facts - which, although I confess I did not particularly like - I must admit that with this technique he was able to give more vividness to his text.
Beethoven lived an extremely creative and very tortured life. His musical heritage is fundamental, however, this book focuses mainly on the man behind the musical masterpieces, and references to his major works are pretty much abbreviated.
O Beethoven 苇味畏蟽蔚 渭喂伪 蔚尉伪喂蟻蔚蟿喂魏维 未畏渭喂慰蠀蟻纬喂魏萎 魏伪喂 蟽蠀谓维渭伪 蟺慰位蠉 尾伪蟽伪谓喂蟽渭苇谓畏 味蠅萎. 螚 渭慰蠀蟽喂魏萎 魏位畏蟻慰谓慰渭喂维 蟿慰蠀 蔚委谓伪喂 胃蔚渭蔚位喂蠋未畏蟼, 蠅蟽蟿蠈蟽慰 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰 蔚蟽蟿喂维味蔚喂 魏蠀蟻委蠅蟼 蟽蟿慰谓 维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰 蟺委蟽蠅 伪蟺蠈 蟿伪 渭慰蠀蟽喂魏维 伪蟻喂蟽蟿慰蠀蟻纬萎渭伪蟿伪 魏伪喂 慰喂 伪谓伪蠁慰蟻苇蟼 蟽蟿伪 魏蠀蟻喂蠈蟿蔚蟻伪 苇蟻纬伪 蟿慰蠀 蔚委谓伪喂 蟽蠂蔚未蠈谓 蟽蠀谓蟿慰渭慰纬蟻伪蠁喂魏苇蟼.
螆谓伪蟼 维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰蟼 蔚魏魏蔚谓蟿蟻喂魏蠈蟼, 慰 Beethoven, 渭蔚 蔚尉伪喂蟻蔚蟿喂魏维 蟺蟻慰尾位畏渭伪蟿喂魏萎 蟽蠀渭蟺蔚蟻喂蠁慰蟻维, 未蠉蟽魏慰位慰蟼 蟽蟿喂蟼 蟽蠀谓蔚蟻纬伪蟽委蔚蟼 蟿慰蠀, 蔚纬蠅喂蟽蟿萎蟼 魏伪喂 渭慰谓慰渭伪谓萎蟼, 伪谓蠀蟺蠈蠁慰蟻慰蟼 魏伪喂 蔚蟺委渭慰谓慰蟼 蟽蔚 蟽畏渭蔚委慰 蔚尉慰蠀胃苇谓蠅蟽畏蟼 - 慰 Suchet 蟺蟻慰蠁伪谓蠋蟼 未蔚谓 魏维谓蔚喂 伪纬喂慰纬蟻伪蠁委伪. 围蟻畏蟽喂渭慰蟺慰喂蔚委 伪蟻魏蔚蟿苇蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿喂蟼 未喂伪胃苇蟽喂渭蔚蟼 蟺畏纬苇蟼 魏伪喂 蟽蔚 魏维蟺慰喂伪 蟽畏渭蔚委伪 蟽蠀渭蟺位畏蟻蠋谓蔚喂 萎 伪谓伪蟺伪蟻喂蟽蟿维 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 蠁伪谓蟿伪蟽委伪 蟿慰蠀 魏维蟺慰喂伪 纬蔚纬慰谓蠈蟿伪 - 蟿慰 慰蟺慰委慰 伪谓 魏伪喂 慰渭慰位慰纬蠋 蟺蠅蟼 未蔚谓 渭慰蠀 维蟻蔚蟽蔚 喂未喂伪委蟿蔚蟻伪 - 慰蠁蔚委位蠅 谓伪 蟺伪蟻伪未蔚蠂蟿蠋 蟺蠅蟼 渭蔚 伪蠀蟿萎谓 蟿畏谓 蟿蔚蠂谓喂魏萎 魏伪蟿维蠁蔚蟻蔚 谓伪 未蠋蟽蔚喂 蟺蔚蟻喂蟽蟽蠈蟿蔚蟻畏 味蠅谓蟿维谓喂伪 魏伪喂 蟺伪蟻伪蟽蟿伪蟿喂魏蠈蟿畏蟿伪 蟽蟿慰 魏蔚委渭蔚谓蠈 蟿慰蠀.
惟蟽蟿蠈蟽慰 伪蠀蟿萎 畏 渭苇胃慰未慰蟼 未委谓蔚喂 蟺蔚蟻喂蟽蟽蠈蟿蔚蟻慰 蠂蠋蟻慰 纬喂伪 蠈位伪 蠈蟽伪 慰 蟺喂蟽蟿蔚蠉蔚喂 萎 蠀蟺慰胃苇蟿蔚喂 萎 蔚蟻渭畏谓蔚蠉蔚喂 慰 尾喂慰纬蟻维蠁慰蟼, 蟽蠉渭蠁蠅谓伪 渭蔚 蟿喂蟼 谓慰慰蟿蟻慰蟺委蔚蟼 魏伪喂 蟿喂蟼 蟺蟻慰蟽位伪渭尾维谓慰蠀蟽蔚蟼 蟿畏蟼 未喂魏萎蟼 渭伪蟼 蔚蟺慰蠂萎蟼, 魏伪喂 伪蟺慰渭伪魏蟻蠉谓蔚蟿伪喂 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰谓 魏伪胃伪蠀蟿蠈 蟺蠀蟻萎谓伪 蟿蠅谓 纬蔚纬慰谓蠈蟿蠅谓 蠈蟺蠅蟼 蔚魏蔚委谓伪 蔚尉蔚位委蠂胃畏魏伪谓 萎 未喂伪渭慰蟻蠁蠋胃畏魏伪谓 未喂伪魏蠈蟽喂伪 魏伪喂 蟺位苇慰谓 蠂蟻蠈谓喂伪 蟺蟻喂谓. 危蔚 渭喂伪 魏慰喂谓蠅谓委伪 蠈蟺慰蠀 蔚委蠂蔚 未喂伪蠁慰蟻蔚蟿喂魏苇蟼 未慰渭苇蟼, 萎胃畏, 谓慰慰蟿蟻慰蟺委蔚蟼, 伪喂蟽胃畏蟿喂魏萎, 伪谓维纬魏蔚蟼 魏伪喂 蟺蟻慰蟿蔚蟻伪喂蠈蟿畏蟿蔚蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏 蟽蠉纬蠂蟻慰谓畏.
韦蔚位喂魏维 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰 渭蔚 苇魏伪谓蔚 谓伪 胃苇位蠅 谓伪 伪魏慰蠉蟽蠅 蟺蔚蟻喂蟽蟽蠈蟿蔚蟻慰 Beethoven, 魏伪喂 谓伪 未喂伪尾维味蠅 蟺蔚蟻喂蟽蟽蠈蟿蔚蟻伪 纬喂伪 蟿慰谓 Beethoven, 纬喂 伪蠀蟿蠈 魏伪蟿苇位畏尉伪 蟺蠅蟼 渭蔚位位慰谓蟿喂魏蠋蟼 胃伪 未喂伪尾维蟽蠅 蟿慰 Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph 蟿慰蠀 Jan Swafford, 蟿慰 慰蟺慰委慰 蠁伪委谓蔚蟿伪喂 蟺蠅蟼 蔚委谓伪喂 蟺位畏蟻苇蟽蟿蔚蟻慰 魏伪喂 伪蟺慰蠁蔚蠉纬蔚喂 蟿喂蟼 蔚喂魏伪蟽委蔚蟼 蟺慰蠀 渭蟺慰蟻蔚委 谓伪 慰未畏纬萎蟽慰蠀谓 蟽蔚 维蟽魏慰蟺蔚蟼 蟺伪蟻蔚蟻渭畏谓蔚委蔚蟼.
惟蟽蟿蠈蟽慰 伪魏蠈渭伪 魏伪喂 渭蔚 伪蠀蟿维 蟿伪 渭蔚喂慰谓蔚魏蟿萎渭伪蟿伪, 慰 Suchet 纬蟻维蠁蔚喂 苇谓伪 蔚尉伪喂蟻蔚蟿喂魏维 蔚蠀蠂维蟻喂蟽蟿慰 魏伪喂 蔚蠀魏慰位慰未喂维尾伪蟽蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰 蟺慰蠀 尉蔚蟿蠀位委纬蔚蟿伪喂 蟽伪谓 渭蠀胃喂蟽蟿蠈蟻畏渭伪 魏伪喂 蠁蠅蟿委味蔚喂 魏维蟺慰喂伪 伪蟺蠈 蟿伪 渭蔚纬维位伪 渭蠀蟽蟿萎蟻喂伪 蟺慰蠀 蟽蠀谓未苇慰谓蟿伪喂 渭蔚 伪蠀蟿蠈谓 蟿慰谓 蟽蟺慰蠀未伪喂蠈蟿伪蟿慰 蟽蠀谓胃苇蟿畏.
螣 Beethoven, 蟺慰蠀 蟿慰谓 伪蟺慰魏伪位慰蠉蟽伪谓 蟺蔚蟻喂蟺伪喂魏蟿喂魏维 "危蟺伪谓喂蠈位慰" (der Spagnol)位蠈纬蠅 蟿畏蟼 蟽魏慰蠉蟻伪蟼 蔚蟺喂未蔚蟻渭委未伪蟼 蟿慰蠀, 萎蟿伪谓 维蟽蠂畏渭慰蟼, 伪蟿畏渭苇位畏蟿慰蟼, 慰尉蠉胃蠀渭慰蟼 魏伪喂 蟺蔚喂蟽渭伪蟿维蟻畏蟼, 纬喂慰蟼 蔚谓蠈蟼 伪位魏慰慰位喂魏慰蠉 魏伪喂 尾委伪喂慰蠀 蟺伪蟿苇蟻伪 蟺慰蠀 蟿慰蠀 蟽蟿苇蟻畏蟽蔚 蟿畏 未蠀谓伪蟿蠈蟿畏蟿伪 谓伪 伪蟺慰魏蟿萎蟽蔚喂 渭喂伪 蟽蟿慰喂蠂蔚喂蠋未畏 蟺伪喂未蔚委伪 魏伪喂 蟿慰谓 苇蟽蟺蟻蠅尉蔚 伪蟺蠈 渭喂魏蟻萎 畏位喂魏委伪 蟽蟿畏 渭慰蠀蟽喂魏萎 蟺蟻慰魏蔚喂渭苇谓慰蠀 谓伪 蟿慰谓 蔚魏渭蔚蟿伪位位蔚蠀蟿蔚委 慰喂魏慰谓慰渭喂魏维. 螕蔚谓谓萎胃畏魏蔚 魏伪喂 渭蔚纬维位蠅蟽蔚 蟽蟿畏 螔蠈谓谓畏, 蟽蔚 苇谓伪 蟽蟺喂蟿喂魏蠈 蠈蟺慰蠀 慰喂 魏伪蠀纬维未蔚蟼, 慰喂 胃维谓伪蟿慰喂 魏伪喂 畏 蠁蟿蠋蠂蔚喂伪 萎蟿伪谓 渭苇蟻慰蟼 蟿慰蠀 魏伪胃畏渭蔚蟻喂谓慰蠉 蟺蟻慰纬蟻维渭渭伪蟿慰蟼. 惟蟽蟿蠈蟽慰 蟺慰位位慰委 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰蠀蟼 未喂伪谓慰慰蠉渭蔚谓慰蠀蟼 魏伪喂 蟿慰蠀蟼 蟺慰位喂蟿喂魏慰蠉蟼 蟺伪蟻维纬慰谓蟿蔚蟼 蟿畏蟼 蟺蔚蟻喂慰蠂萎蟼, 蟽蟿萎蟻喂尉伪谓 慰位蠈蠄蠀蠂伪 蟿慰 谓蔚伪蟻蠈 伪纬蠈蟻喂 魏伪喂 蟿慰谓 尾慰萎胃畏蟽伪谓 谓伪 蟽蟿伪胃蔚委 蟽蟿伪 蟺蠈未喂伪 蟿慰蠀 魏伪喂 谓伪 尉蔚蠁蠉纬蔚喂 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰 蟺蟻慰尾位畏渭伪蟿喂魏蠈 蟺蔚蟻喂尾维位位慰谓.
螝维蟺蠅蟼 苇蟿蟽喂 魏伪蟿伪位萎纬蔚喂 蟽蔚 谓蔚伪蟻萎 畏位喂魏委伪 蟽蟿畏 渭慰蠀蟽喂魏萎 蟺蟻蠅蟿蔚蠉慰蠀蟽伪 蟿慰蠀 魏蠈蟽渭慰蠀, 蟿畏 螔喂苇谓谓畏. 螠慰蠀蟽喂魏维 未喂伪蟺蟻苇蟺蔚喂, 伪位位维 畏 蟺蟻慰蟽蠅蟺喂魏萎 蟿慰蠀 味蠅萎 魏伪蟿伪蟿蟻蠉蠂蔚蟿伪喂 伪蟺蠈 渭喂伪 蟽蔚喂蟻维 伪蟺慰蟻蟻委蠄蔚蠅谓 蟺慰蠀 蟿慰蠀 魏慰蟽蟿委味慰蠀谓 蟽蠀谓伪喂蟽胃畏渭伪蟿喂魏维 魏伪喂 蟽蟿伪未喂伪魏维 蟿慰谓 渭蔚蟿伪渭慰蟻蠁蠋谓慰蠀谓 蟽蟿慰谓 渭喂蟽维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰, 蟽蟿蟻喂渭渭苇谓慰, 纬魏蟻喂谓喂维蟻畏 魏伪喂 蟺蔚喂蟽渭伪蟿维蟻畏 纬苇蟻慰 蟺伪蟻维尉蔚谓慰 蟺慰蠀 未喂伪蟽蠋味蔚蟿伪喂 渭苇蟽伪 伪蟺蠈 蟿喂蟼 渭伪蟻蟿蠀蟻委蔚蟼 蟿蠅谓 蟽蠀纬魏伪喂蟻喂谓蠋谓 蟿慰蠀, 渭蔚 渭喂伪 未蠈蟽畏 魏慰蠀蟿蟽慰渭蟺慰位喂慰蠉 魏伪喂 蠀蟺蔚蟻尾慰位萎蟼 蟺蟻慰蠁伪谓蠋蟼. 螕喂伪蟿委 蟽伪谓 魏伪位位喂蟿苇蠂谓畏蟼 慰 Beethoven 蟺维谓蟿伪 苇蠄伪蠂谓蔚 纬喂伪 渭喂伪 渭慰蠉蟽伪. 螘委蠂蔚 伪谓维纬魏畏 谓伪 蔚委谓伪喂 蔚蟻蠅蟿蔚蠀渭苇谓慰蟼 纬喂伪 谓伪 未畏渭喂慰蠀蟻纬萎蟽蔚喂, 纬喂伪 谓伪 蔚渭蟺谓蔚蠀蟽蟿蔚委 魏伪喂 谓伪 蟽蠀谓胃苇蟽蔚喂. 螝维蟺慰喂伪 伪蟺蠈 蟿伪 蟺喂慰 蠅蟻伪委伪 魏伪喂 未畏渭慰蠁喂位萎 苇蟻纬伪 蟿慰蠀 蟿伪 苇纬蟻伪蠄蔚 纬喂伪 蟿喂蟼 纬蠀谓伪委魏蔚蟼 蟺慰蠀 蔚蟻蠅蟿蔚蠉蟿畏魏蔚 蠂蠅蟻委蟼 伪谓蟿伪蟺蠈魏蟻喂蟽畏 蠈蟺蠅蟼 蟺蠂 蟿慰 魏伪喂 蟿慰 .
螝伪喂 纬喂伪蟿委 蟿慰谓 伪蟺苇蟻蟻喂蟺蟿伪谓 慰喂 纬蠀谓伪委魏蔚蟼; 螖蔚谓 萎蟿伪谓 蠅蟻伪委慰蟼, 未蔚谓 萎蟿伪谓 蟺位慰蠉蟽喂慰蟼, 未蔚谓 蔚委蠂蔚 蔚蠀纬蔚谓喂魏萎 魏伪蟿伪纬蠅纬萎 (van 伪谓蟿委 纬喂伪 von) 魏伪喂 伪蟺蠈 蟺慰位蠉 谓苇慰蟼 蠀蟺苇蠁蔚蟻蔚 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 蟺喂慰 魏伪蟿伪蟽蟿蟻慰蠁喂魏萎 伪谓伪蟺畏蟻委伪 蟺慰蠀 胃伪 渭蟺慰蟻慰蠉蟽蔚 谓伪 蟿慰蠀 蟿蠉蠂蔚喂 蟽蔚 蟽蠂苇蟽畏 渭蔚 蟿慰 蔚蟺维纬纬蔚位渭维 蟿慰蠀: 螁蟻蠂喂蟽蔚 伪蟺蠈 谓蔚伪蟻萎 畏位喂魏委伪 谓伪 蠂维谓蔚喂 蟿畏谓 伪魏慰萎 蟿慰蠀...
危蔚 畏位喂魏委伪 31 蔚蟿蠋谓 纬蟻维蠁蔚喂 苇谓伪 魏蔚委渭蔚谓慰 蟺慰蠀 蟽蠋味蔚蟿伪喂 蟽蟿喂蟼 畏渭苇蟻蔚蟼 渭伪蟼 蠅蟼 畏 "螖喂伪胃萎魏畏" 蟿慰蠀, 蠈蟺慰蠀 蟺蔚蟻喂纬蟻维蠁蔚喂 渭蔚 蟽蟺伪蟻伪魏蟿喂魏蠈 蟿蟻蠈蟺慰 蟿喂蟼 蟽蠀谓苇蟺蔚喂蔚蟼 蟿畏蟼 伪谓伪蟺畏蟻委伪蟼 蟿慰蠀:
"螌位慰喂 蔚蟽蔚委蟼 慰喂 维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰喂 蟺慰蠀 位苇蟿蔚 蟺蠅蟼 蔚委渭伪喂 蔚蠂胃蟻喂魏蠈蟼 伪蟺苇谓伪谓蟿委 蟽伪蟼 萎 蟺蠅蟼 蔚委渭伪喂 蟽蟿蟻喂渭渭苇谓慰蟼 萎 蟺蠅蟼 渭喂蟽蠋 蟿畏谓 伪谓胃蟻蠅蟺蠈蟿畏蟿伪 未蔚谓 魏伪蟿伪位伪尾伪委谓蔚蟿蔚 蟺蠈蟽慰 渭蔚 苇蠂蔚蟿蔚 蟺伪蟻蔚尉畏纬萎蟽蔚喂. 螡慰渭委味蔚蟿蔚 蟺蠅蟼 魏伪蟿伪位伪尾伪委谓蔚蟿蔚 伪位位维 未蔚谓 尉苇蟻蔚蟿蔚 蟿畏 渭蠀蟽蟿喂魏萎 伪喂蟿委伪 蟺慰蠀 渭蔚 魏维谓蔚喂 谓伪 蠁伪委谓慰渭伪喂 苇蟿蟽喂. 螒蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 蟺伪喂未喂魏萎 畏位喂魏委伪 渭慰蠀 畏 魏伪蟻未喂维 魏喂 慰 谓慰蠀蟼 渭慰蠀 苇魏位喂谓伪谓 渭蠈谓慰 蟺蟻慰蟼 蟿畏谓 蟿蟻蠀蠁蔚蟻蠈蟿畏蟿伪 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 魏伪位萎 未喂维胃蔚蟽畏. 韦慰 萎尉蔚蟻伪 蟺蠅蟼 萎渭慰蠀谓 蟺蟻慰慰蟻喂蟽渭苇谓慰蟼 纬喂伪 蟽蟺慰蠀未伪委伪 蟺蟻维纬渭伪蟿伪.
螒位位维 伪谓伪位慰纬喂蟽蟿蔚委蟿蔚 蟿慰 蔚尉萎蟼: 韦伪 蟿蔚位蔚蠀蟿伪委伪 苇尉喂 蠂蟻蠈谓喂伪 蠀蟺慰蠁苇蟻蠅 伪蟺蠈 渭喂伪 蠁蟻喂蠂蟿萎 蟺维胃畏蟽畏, 蟺慰蠀 渭慰蠀 蟿畏谓 蠂蔚喂蟻慰蟿苇蟻蔚蠄伪谓 慰喂 维蟽蠂蔚蟿慰喂 纬喂伪蟿蟻慰委 魏喂 蔚谓蠋 萎位蟺喂味伪 蟺蠅蟼 渭蔚 蟿慰谓 蠂蟻蠈谓慰 胃伪 未喂慰蟻胃蠅胃蔚委 蟽蟿慰 蟿苇位慰蟼 魏伪蟿维位伪尾伪 蟺蠅蟼 蔚委蠂伪 尉蔚纬蔚位伪蟽蟿蔚委 蟺蠅蟼 苇蟺蟻蔚蟺蔚 谓伪 伪谓蟿喂渭蔚蟿蠅蟺委蟽蠅 蟿畏谓 蟺蟻慰慰蟺蟿喂魏萎 渭喂伪蟼 伪谓委伪蟿畏蟼 伪蟽胃苇谓蔚喂伪蟼 (萎 苇蟽蟿蠅 蟺蠅蟼 胃伪 蠂蟻蔚喂伪蟽蟿慰蠉谓 蠂蟻蠈谓喂伪 纬喂伪 谓伪 胃蔚蟻伪蟺蔚蠀蟿蠋 魏伪喂 委蟽蠅蟼 伪蠀蟿蠈 谓伪 渭畏 蟽蠀渭尾蔚委 蟺慰蟿苇).
螕蔚谓谓萎胃畏魏伪 渭蔚 苇谓伪谓 蟺伪胃喂伪蟽渭苇谓慰 魏伪喂 味蠅畏蟻蠈 蠂伪蟻伪魏蟿萎蟻伪 伪位位维 伪蟺蠈 谓蔚伪蟻萎 畏位喂魏委伪 蠀蟺慰蠂蟻蔚蠋胃畏魏伪 谓伪 伪蟺慰魏蠈蠄蠅 蟿慰蠀蟼 未蔚蟽渭慰蠉蟼 渭慰蠀 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 魏慰喂谓蠅谓委伪 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 蟺慰喂魏喂位慰渭慰蟻蠁委伪 蟿畏蟼 魏伪喂 谓伪 味萎蟽蠅 伪蟺慰渭慰谓蠅渭苇谓慰蟼. 螝喂 蠈蟺慰蟿蔚 蔚蟺喂胃蠀渭慰蠉蟽伪 未喂伪魏伪蠋蟼 谓伪 尉蔚蠁蠉纬蠅 伪蟺蠈 伪蠀蟿蠈, 蠅 蟺蠈蟽慰 蟽魏位畏蟻维 苇蟺蟻蔚蟺蔚 谓伪 蟺伪位苇蠄蠅 蔚谓维谓蟿喂伪 蟽蟿喂蟼 蟿蟻慰渭蔚蟻苇蟼 蟽蠀谓苇蟺蔚喂蔚蟼 蟿畏蟼 蠂伪渭苇谓畏蟼 伪魏慰萎蟼 渭慰蠀. 螝伪喂 未蔚谓 萎渭慰蠀谓 伪魏蠈渭伪 蟽蔚 胃苇蟽畏 谓伪 渭蟺慰蟻蠋 谓伪 蟺蠅 蟽蟿慰蠀蟼 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺慰蠀蟼 "螠委位伪 未蠀谓伪蟿蠈蟿蔚蟻伪, 蠁蠋谓伪尉蔚, 纬喂伪蟿委 蔚委渭伪喂 魏慰蠀蠁蠈蟼".
惟蟽蟿蠈蟽慰 蟺伪蟻维 蟿畏谓 伪谓伪蟺畏蟻委伪 蟿慰蠀 蟽蠀谓苇蠂喂蟽蔚 谓伪 伪魏慰蠉蟽蔚喂 蟿畏 渭慰蠀蟽喂魏萎 渭苇蟽伪 蟽蟿慰 渭蠀伪位蠈 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 蠄蠀蠂萎 蟿慰蠀. 螝伪喂 蠈蠂喂 渭蠈谓慰 伪蠀蟿蠈. 螝维蟺慰喂伪 蟽蟿喂纬渭萎, 蟽蔚 渭蔚纬伪位蠉蟿蔚蟻畏 畏位喂魏委伪 尾蟻萎魏蔚 蟿慰谓 苇蟻蠅蟿伪, 尾蟻萎魏蔚 伪谓蟿伪蟺蠈魏蟻喂蟽畏 蟽蔚 渭喂伪 渭蠀蟽蟿畏蟻喂蠋未畏 纬蠀谓伪委魏伪, 蟿畏蟼 慰蟺慰委伪蟼 畏 蟿伪蠀蟿蠈蟿畏蟿伪 未蔚谓 蟽蠋味蔚蟿伪喂 蟺苇蟻伪 伪蟺蠈 渭喂伪 蔚蟻蠅蟿喂魏萎 蔚蟺喂蟽蟿慰位萎 蟺慰蠀 未蔚谓 蔚蟽蟿维位畏 蟺慰蟿苇, 畏 慰蟺慰委伪 尾蟻苇胃畏魏蔚 渭蔚蟿维 蟿慰谓 胃维谓伪蟿慰 蟿慰蠀 蟽蠀谓胃苇蟿畏 伪谓维渭蔚蟽伪 蟽蟿伪 蟺蟻慰蟽蠅蟺喂魏维 蟿慰蠀 伪谓蟿喂魏蔚委渭蔚谓伪. 螘委谓伪喂 畏 "螒胃维谓伪蟿畏 伪纬伪蟺畏渭苇谓畏" (Unsterbliche Geliebte):
"螡伪 尉苇蟻蔚喂蟼 蟺蠅蟼 蟽慰蠀 蔚委渭伪喂 蟺喂蟽蟿蠈蟼, 蟺蠅蟼 蟺慰蟿苇 魏伪渭委伪 维位位畏 纬蠀谓伪委魏伪 未蔚谓 胃伪 苇蠂蔚喂 蟿畏谓 魏伪蟻未喂维 渭慰蠀 - 蟺慰蟿苇, 蟺慰蟿苇 - 惟 胃蔚苇 渭慰蠀, 纬喂伪蟿委 蟺蟻苇蟺蔚喂 谓伪 蔚委渭伪蟽蟿蔚 蟿蠈蟽慰 渭伪魏蟻喂维 伪蟺蠈 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟺慰蠀 伪纬伪蟺维渭蔚;"
螘委谓伪喂 渭喂伪 蔚蟺喂蟽蟿慰位萎, 蟽蟿畏谓 慰蟺慰委伪 蟺蟻慰纬蟻伪渭渭伪蟿委味蔚喂 渭喂伪 渭蠀蟽蟿喂魏萎 蟽蠀谓维谓蟿畏蟽畏 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 伪纬伪蟺畏渭苇谓畏 蟿慰蠀, 纬蔚渭维蟿畏 蟺维胃慰蟼 魏伪喂 伪蟺蔚位蟺喂蟽委伪. 螤蟻慰蠁伪谓蠋蟼 蔚蟺蟻蠈魏蔚喂蟿慰 纬喂伪 渭喂伪 蟺伪谓蟿蟻蔚渭苇谓畏 纬蠀谓伪委魏伪, 纬喂蝿 伪蠀蟿蠈 蠁蟻蠈谓蟿喂蟽蔚 谓伪 渭畏谓 未喂伪蟻蟻蔚蠉蟽蔚喂 蟿慰 蠈谓慰渭维 蟿畏蟼, 纬喂伪 谓伪 渭畏谓 蟿畏谓 蔚魏胃苇蟽蔚喂. 螒蟺蠈 蟿蠈蟿蔚 苇蠂慰蠀谓 纬委谓蔚喂 蟺慰位位苇蟼 蔚喂魏伪蟽委蔚蟼 纬喂伪 蟿畏谓 蟿伪蠀蟿蠈蟿畏蟿维 蟿畏蟼. 螒位位维 蠈蟺慰喂伪 魏伪喂 谓伪 萎蟿伪谓 蔚魏蔚委谓畏 畏 渭慰蠉蟽伪, 畏 伪位畏胃喂谓萎, 伪喂蠋谓喂伪 魏伪喂 伪胃维谓伪蟿畏 伪纬伪蟺畏渭苇谓畏 蟿慰蠀 Beethoven, 畏 渭蠈谓畏 蟺喂蟽蟿萎 伪纬维蟺畏 蟺慰蠀 蟺慰蟿苇 未蔚谓 蟿慰谓 蟺蟻蠈未蠅蟽蔚 蠅蟼 蟿慰 蟿苇位慰蟼 蟿畏蟼 味蠅萎蟼 蟿慰蠀, 萎蟿伪谓 畏 委未喂伪 畏 螠慰蠀蟽喂魏萎. 螒蠀蟿萎 蔚委谓伪喂 畏 胃蔚渭蔚位喂蠋未畏蟼 蟺伪蟻伪魏伪蟿伪胃萎魏畏 蟿慰蠀, 畏 螒胃维谓伪蟿畏 魏位畏蟻慰谓慰渭喂维 蟿慰蠀.
危伪谓 维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰蟼 蠀蟺苇蠁蔚蟻蔚 蟽蠀蠂谓维 伪蟺蠈 蟿喂蟼 喂未喂慰蟿蟻慰蟺委蔚蟼 蟿慰蠀, 蟽蔚 蟽畏渭蔚委慰 纬蔚位慰喂慰蟺慰委畏蟽畏蟼. 螘蟺委蟽畏蟼 苇魏伪谓蔚 苇谓伪 渭慰喂蟻伪委慰 位维胃慰蟼, 蠈蟿伪谓 蟺蔚喂蟽渭伪蟿喂魏维 伪谓苇位伪尾蔚 蟿畏谓 魏畏未蔚渭慰谓委伪 蟿慰蠀 伪谓喂蠄喂慰蠉 蟿慰蠀, 蔚谓蠋 萎蟿伪谓 伪魏伪蟿维位位畏位慰蟼 纬喂伪 蟿慰谓 蟻蠈位慰 蟿慰蠀 纬慰谓苇伪. 螒位位维 蠅蟼 未畏渭喂慰蠀蟻纬蠈蟼 蔚委谓伪喂 伪尉蔚蟺苇蟻伪蟽蟿慰蟼. 螣喂 蟿蔚位蔚蠀蟿伪委蔚蟼 谓蠈蟿蔚蟼 蟺慰蠀 苇纬蟻伪蠄蔚 蟺蟻喂谓 蟺蔚胃维谓蔚喂, 蔚委谓伪喂 苇谓伪蟼 渭喂魏蟻蠈蟼 魏伪谓蠈谓伪蟼 蔚蟺维谓蠅 蟽蟿畏 蠁蟻维蟽畏 "蠈位慰喂 蟽蠁维位位慰蠀渭蔚 伪位位维 慰 魏伪胃苇谓伪蟼 渭蔚 未喂伪蠁慰蟻蔚蟿喂魏蠈 蟿蟻蠈蟺慰":
螝伪蟿苇位畏尉伪 谓伪 谓喂蠋胃蠅 蟿蠈蟽慰 尾伪胃喂维 伪纬维蟺畏 魏伪喂 蟽蠀渭蟺蠈谓喂伪 纬喂伪 蟿慰谓 维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰 Beethoven 蠈蟽慰 尾伪胃蠉 胃伪蠀渭伪蟽渭蠈 魏伪喂 未苇慰蟼 谓喂蠋胃蠅 纬喂伪 蟿畏 渭慰蠀蟽喂魏萎 蟿慰蠀.
April 24, 2018
Mr. Suchet has written a very good look at one of the greatest composers and overall musicians in classical music. The authors stated goal with this biography is to let the reader get to know the man behind all of the great music he produced. I feel he succeeded. The narrative is at times gossipy, speculative, firmly grounded and overall a good look at the great Beethoven鈥檚 life. What it is not is technical look at his music. Mr. Suchet mentions many of Beethoven鈥檚 compositions, but does not attempt to analyze them or explain just why they are great. He accepts that they are.
In looking at Beethoven鈥檚 life, the author starts the preface with his death and funeral. There was such an out pouring of emotion in Vienna that the Army had to be called out to provide security for the funeral procession. The author speculates this is was almost as if Vienna was trying to atone for the way they treated Mozart at his death and funeral.
Mr. Suchet starts the biography proper in detailing the composer鈥檚 childhood and ancestry. His grandfather, for whom he was named, was an accomplished musician and the Kapalmeister of Bonn. His father was also a musician, but nowhere near as talented. His father recognized the young Beethoven鈥檚 talent and at a young age he had him performing, much like Mozart a generation earlier. According to Mr. Suchet, the younger Beethoven made an impression not just on his family, but he musical society of Bonn in general. He was appointed as one of the organist/keyboard players of the Bonn Cathedral while still in his early teens.
As with most great men, Beethoven鈥檚 childhood has holes in the documentation. The author engages in a bit of speculation in describing events of the composer鈥檚 boyhood and teenage years. For example, Mr. Suchet speculates on just when Beethoven first met Hayden, who later became is teacher. It is documented that he met Hayden in the summer of 1791 as the great composer was returning from England. The author supposes that it wasn鈥檛 their first meeting. He speculates that when Hayden had been in Bonn 18 mths earlier, he must have met the young Beethoven at a gala given for the great composer by the musical elite of Bonn. The reason for this is that Beethoven was such a talent and as member of one the major musical families of Bonn, it begs reason that he wouldn't have been invited to the gala. The author supposes that Beethoven asked his opinion of some of his first compositions. The narrative is full of these typed of guesses and suppositions.
The author does an excellent job of relating just what kind of a man Beethoven was. To say he was prickly is an understatement. For example, the author relates that in spite of being a superb keyboardist, he absolutely refused to demonstrate that talent when asked by various potential and actual patrons. He was also slovenly in dress and deportment. There were restaurants that he frequented that reserved a special table for him away from there other customers so that those other customers would not be offended. He was also very demanding of his musicians. His story is full of players or singers saying the music he had written was unplayable, unsingable or both.
Not only does Mr. Suchet looks at his manners or lack thereof, he tells of his spectacularly unsuccessful love life. The author relates that he was serious enough about three different women to ask them to marry him. He was turned down flat by two of them and the third鈥檚 father would not allow such a thing. This leads to the controversy over the 鈥淚mmortal Beloved鈥� letter that was found in his effects after his death. Mr. Suchet looks all the prospects of who it could be and narrows it down to 2. He has problems with both them, but says they are his best guess. Surprisingly given all the speculation in other matters, he does not give his opinion on which one it was. He does say that, unlike the movie, it was definitely not his sister-in-law. He despised her and the feeling was apparently mutual.
The author does cover the relationship Beethoven had with his brothers. To say the least it was strained. He disapproved of both of their marriage choices and when Karl passed away, he took guardianship of his nephew away for Karl鈥檚 widow. He then tried to force his nephew to follow him into the music world despite the fact the nephew had neither the talent nor the interest in such a career.
I found the story of the premiere of his 9th Symphony the most moving in the narrative. By this time he was almost totally deaf, yet he was allowed to 鈥渃onduct.鈥� In reality the promoters hired another very respected conductor to assist, Maestro Umlauf . He stood slightly behind and to the side of the master and actually conducted. In addition, the soloists refused to sing some of the passages saying they were to difficult. They made a pact among themselves not to sing parts that they couldn鈥檛 鈥� Beethoven wouldn鈥檛 know, he was deaf. Finally as the final notes sounded and Maestro Umlauf brought his hands down, Beethoven was still 鈥渃onducting the orchestra he was hearing in his head.鈥� The Contralto, with whom he had been battling all throughout the rehearsal process stepped forward and gently touched Beethoven on the shoulder, 鈥渘odded encouragingly at the bewildered face, and turned him to face the cheering audience. At that moment Beethoven knew the gift he had given the world.鈥�
All in all this is a good look at the kind of man Beethoven was. Spiteful, demanding, generous at times, unkempt and most of all so talented, people forgave him his faults. This is a solid 4 star read.
In looking at Beethoven鈥檚 life, the author starts the preface with his death and funeral. There was such an out pouring of emotion in Vienna that the Army had to be called out to provide security for the funeral procession. The author speculates this is was almost as if Vienna was trying to atone for the way they treated Mozart at his death and funeral.
Mr. Suchet starts the biography proper in detailing the composer鈥檚 childhood and ancestry. His grandfather, for whom he was named, was an accomplished musician and the Kapalmeister of Bonn. His father was also a musician, but nowhere near as talented. His father recognized the young Beethoven鈥檚 talent and at a young age he had him performing, much like Mozart a generation earlier. According to Mr. Suchet, the younger Beethoven made an impression not just on his family, but he musical society of Bonn in general. He was appointed as one of the organist/keyboard players of the Bonn Cathedral while still in his early teens.
As with most great men, Beethoven鈥檚 childhood has holes in the documentation. The author engages in a bit of speculation in describing events of the composer鈥檚 boyhood and teenage years. For example, Mr. Suchet speculates on just when Beethoven first met Hayden, who later became is teacher. It is documented that he met Hayden in the summer of 1791 as the great composer was returning from England. The author supposes that it wasn鈥檛 their first meeting. He speculates that when Hayden had been in Bonn 18 mths earlier, he must have met the young Beethoven at a gala given for the great composer by the musical elite of Bonn. The reason for this is that Beethoven was such a talent and as member of one the major musical families of Bonn, it begs reason that he wouldn't have been invited to the gala. The author supposes that Beethoven asked his opinion of some of his first compositions. The narrative is full of these typed of guesses and suppositions.
The author does an excellent job of relating just what kind of a man Beethoven was. To say he was prickly is an understatement. For example, the author relates that in spite of being a superb keyboardist, he absolutely refused to demonstrate that talent when asked by various potential and actual patrons. He was also slovenly in dress and deportment. There were restaurants that he frequented that reserved a special table for him away from there other customers so that those other customers would not be offended. He was also very demanding of his musicians. His story is full of players or singers saying the music he had written was unplayable, unsingable or both.
Not only does Mr. Suchet looks at his manners or lack thereof, he tells of his spectacularly unsuccessful love life. The author relates that he was serious enough about three different women to ask them to marry him. He was turned down flat by two of them and the third鈥檚 father would not allow such a thing. This leads to the controversy over the 鈥淚mmortal Beloved鈥� letter that was found in his effects after his death. Mr. Suchet looks all the prospects of who it could be and narrows it down to 2. He has problems with both them, but says they are his best guess. Surprisingly given all the speculation in other matters, he does not give his opinion on which one it was. He does say that, unlike the movie, it was definitely not his sister-in-law. He despised her and the feeling was apparently mutual.
The author does cover the relationship Beethoven had with his brothers. To say the least it was strained. He disapproved of both of their marriage choices and when Karl passed away, he took guardianship of his nephew away for Karl鈥檚 widow. He then tried to force his nephew to follow him into the music world despite the fact the nephew had neither the talent nor the interest in such a career.
I found the story of the premiere of his 9th Symphony the most moving in the narrative. By this time he was almost totally deaf, yet he was allowed to 鈥渃onduct.鈥� In reality the promoters hired another very respected conductor to assist, Maestro Umlauf . He stood slightly behind and to the side of the master and actually conducted. In addition, the soloists refused to sing some of the passages saying they were to difficult. They made a pact among themselves not to sing parts that they couldn鈥檛 鈥� Beethoven wouldn鈥檛 know, he was deaf. Finally as the final notes sounded and Maestro Umlauf brought his hands down, Beethoven was still 鈥渃onducting the orchestra he was hearing in his head.鈥� The Contralto, with whom he had been battling all throughout the rehearsal process stepped forward and gently touched Beethoven on the shoulder, 鈥渘odded encouragingly at the bewildered face, and turned him to face the cheering audience. At that moment Beethoven knew the gift he had given the world.鈥�
All in all this is a good look at the kind of man Beethoven was. Spiteful, demanding, generous at times, unkempt and most of all so talented, people forgave him his faults. This is a solid 4 star read.
February 16, 2014
Other Beethoven biographies I鈥檝e considered were laden with score analysis and academic theories. John Suchet, an authority on Beethoven, could have written yet another one. Thankfully, he pared the technical issues to create a book for the average reader. His goal was to help a general reader (and audience) appreciate Beethoven鈥檚 music by knowing more about his life and the circumstances that gave rise to his compositions.
While the text is not technical and is reasonably jargon-free, the writer is not talking down. For those issues where there are differences in scholarly opinion, Suchet discusses what is known and not known and gives the source of each viewpoint and its credibility. The best examples of this are Beethoven鈥檚 relationship with Goethe and the possible identities of the 鈥渋mmortal beloved鈥�. For the lay person, this method saves flipping back to footnotes, and puts the various possibilities in context.
Another technique Suchet uses to help the reader conceptualize an event is proposed dialog. The best example of this is what might have been said during and after a meeting with Mozart,
There is interesting background on the difficulty of working with Mozart. For artists there were horrible rehearsals and vocalists had difficulty singing parts as written. For patrons, there was the uncertainty of receiving his work, having it named for you (even if promised) and the practicalities of performance. For performance venues, accusations over receipts were constant and with a brother and nephew making arrangements, it was hard to know who was in control. For landlords --- well at least he never stayed anywhere very long. Almost all around him suffered from his unpredictable emotional outbursts, saddest of all the nephew who was obviously abused in ways lost to history.
Now I understand the reality of Beethoven as an eccentric, disheveled, musical genius. John Suchet has met his goal with me because after his book, I will listen to Beethoven with new ears.
While the text is not technical and is reasonably jargon-free, the writer is not talking down. For those issues where there are differences in scholarly opinion, Suchet discusses what is known and not known and gives the source of each viewpoint and its credibility. The best examples of this are Beethoven鈥檚 relationship with Goethe and the possible identities of the 鈥渋mmortal beloved鈥�. For the lay person, this method saves flipping back to footnotes, and puts the various possibilities in context.
Another technique Suchet uses to help the reader conceptualize an event is proposed dialog. The best example of this is what might have been said during and after a meeting with Mozart,
There is interesting background on the difficulty of working with Mozart. For artists there were horrible rehearsals and vocalists had difficulty singing parts as written. For patrons, there was the uncertainty of receiving his work, having it named for you (even if promised) and the practicalities of performance. For performance venues, accusations over receipts were constant and with a brother and nephew making arrangements, it was hard to know who was in control. For landlords --- well at least he never stayed anywhere very long. Almost all around him suffered from his unpredictable emotional outbursts, saddest of all the nephew who was obviously abused in ways lost to history.
Now I understand the reality of Beethoven as an eccentric, disheveled, musical genius. John Suchet has met his goal with me because after his book, I will listen to Beethoven with new ears.
February 28, 2025
亘丕賱丕禺乇賴 鬲賲賵賲 卮丿.
讴賱丕 賮讴乇 讴賳賲 禺賵賳丿賳賽 夭賳丿诏蹖賳丕賲賴 賴賲蹖賳 卮讴賱蹖 亘丕卮賴. 丕賵賱卮 亘賴 卮丿鬲 賴蹖噩丕賳 賵 匕賵賯 丿丕乇蹖 亘毓丿 亘賴 丌禺乇丕卮 讴賴 賲蹖乇爻蹖 丨賵氐賱賴鈥屫� 爻乇 賲蹖乇賴 賵 亘賴 夭賵乇 丕丿丕賲賴 賲蹖丿蹖. 賴賲蹖賳 丕鬲賮丕賯 亘乇丕蹖 賲賳 賵 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 賴賲 丕賮鬲丕丿.
讴賱丕 賮讴乇 讴賳賲 禺賵賳丿賳賽 夭賳丿诏蹖賳丕賲賴 賴賲蹖賳 卮讴賱蹖 亘丕卮賴. 丕賵賱卮 亘賴 卮丿鬲 賴蹖噩丕賳 賵 匕賵賯 丿丕乇蹖 亘毓丿 亘賴 丌禺乇丕卮 讴賴 賲蹖乇爻蹖 丨賵氐賱賴鈥屫� 爻乇 賲蹖乇賴 賵 亘賴 夭賵乇 丕丿丕賲賴 賲蹖丿蹖. 賴賲蹖賳 丕鬲賮丕賯 亘乇丕蹖 賲賳 賵 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 賴賲 丕賮鬲丕丿.
January 3, 2014
This is a new biography of Ludwig van Beethoven, the greatest musician and composer who ever lived on this earth. What makes this book special is Suchet makes no effort to explain musical theory or analyze musical scores. Instead, he paints a portrait of Beethoven and his friends and his basically sad and difficult life. Everyone knows that Beethoven was deaf, but few can understand how hard it was for a deaf person to deal with the world around him and write music and perform at the same time.
Few people know that Beethoven lived in squalor, often moving twice each year. Few know that many landlords evicted him because the neighbors complained that he was always playing the piano at night. Few know that Beethoven was uncouth, had bad manners and had dreadful social skills. No matter how hard he tried, no woman would marry him or even spend time with him.
Few know that, after his brother died, Beethoven waged a court battle with his sister-in-law for custody of her son. The custody battle was as ugly and awful as any family law family law custody battle waged today. It does not reflect well on Beethoven. It would reflect poorly on anyone today.
The book can best be compared to the many excellent biographies by Christopher Hibbert, who wrote short biographies that somehow gave you a sense of what the person was all about. A beautifully written portrait of Beethoven. At the end of the book, you can't help but wonder how a man who was so miserable and difficult managed to compose all that great music.
One final thought: Beethoven, like most true geniuses, did not waste time worrying what his critics said. He ignored them completely and kept moving on his own path. In an odd way, he reminded me of Steven Jobs, who ignored his critics completely.
There never will be another Beethoven. There really won't be anyone remotely like him again. By reading this invaluable book, you can get a sense of who he was and why his life has meaning.
Few people know that Beethoven lived in squalor, often moving twice each year. Few know that many landlords evicted him because the neighbors complained that he was always playing the piano at night. Few know that Beethoven was uncouth, had bad manners and had dreadful social skills. No matter how hard he tried, no woman would marry him or even spend time with him.
Few know that, after his brother died, Beethoven waged a court battle with his sister-in-law for custody of her son. The custody battle was as ugly and awful as any family law family law custody battle waged today. It does not reflect well on Beethoven. It would reflect poorly on anyone today.
The book can best be compared to the many excellent biographies by Christopher Hibbert, who wrote short biographies that somehow gave you a sense of what the person was all about. A beautifully written portrait of Beethoven. At the end of the book, you can't help but wonder how a man who was so miserable and difficult managed to compose all that great music.
One final thought: Beethoven, like most true geniuses, did not waste time worrying what his critics said. He ignored them completely and kept moving on his own path. In an odd way, he reminded me of Steven Jobs, who ignored his critics completely.
There never will be another Beethoven. There really won't be anyone remotely like him again. By reading this invaluable book, you can get a sense of who he was and why his life has meaning.
May 30, 2014
A better title, or perhaps a more accurate one, for this thin volume would have been Beethoven: The Man Fabricated. Relying largely on secondary sources, Suchet encounters many undocumented gaps in the life of Beethoven and fills them with might-have-beens and other circumstantial speculations. One case involves the identity of the woman Beethoven referred to as his "immortal beloved." Since Beethoven never committed her name to paper, Suchet rounds up the usual suspects (as guessed at by prior biographers), brackets the time frames within which they might have met, considers the map of possible locations, sniffs the centuries-old air for the scent of sexual musk, and arrives at his best guess at the woman's identity and whether Beethoven's interest was reciprocated or and a relationship consummated. After many instances of this type, the overall effect is of an art student adding color, depth and texture to someone else's stick figure and calling the finished result a portrait. The better part of Beethoven's life is revealed in his art; perhaps that's where we should turn to discover him.
February 8, 2015
The Beethoven who emerges from John Suchet's life is a figure of graphic extremes, especially towards the end. His family and life and personality descended into squalor even as he composed his greatest music. This is a readable and informative book, focusing on Beethoven's personal life and character, rather than the music and offering something more accessible to someone like me than biographies filled with staves and notes. That said, I would have like a bit more about the music in a way that connected it with the life. Suchet also doesn't try to take in intellectual, social or political history and ask how those affected Beethoven.
The strongest passage, which I have to quote here, describes the premiere of the Ninth Symphony where the chaotic and deaf Beethoven insisted on conducting, while the orchestra followed another conductor, Umlauf, who stood beside him.
'Umlauf brought down his arms for the final chord. It was over. The audience erupted, shouted and cheered, handkerchiefs and hates waved in the air. Beethoven! Beethoven! Beethoven!
Umlauf looked to his side. Beethoven, oblivious to what was happening continued to wave his arms, conducting the orchestra he was hearing in his head. Caroline Unger, the contralto who had so berated him in rehearsal, stepped forward. Gently she tapped Beethoven on the shoulder, nodded encouragingly at his bewildered face, and turned him to face the cheering audience.
At that moment Beethoven knew the gift he had given the world'
The strongest passage, which I have to quote here, describes the premiere of the Ninth Symphony where the chaotic and deaf Beethoven insisted on conducting, while the orchestra followed another conductor, Umlauf, who stood beside him.
'Umlauf brought down his arms for the final chord. It was over. The audience erupted, shouted and cheered, handkerchiefs and hates waved in the air. Beethoven! Beethoven! Beethoven!
Umlauf looked to his side. Beethoven, oblivious to what was happening continued to wave his arms, conducting the orchestra he was hearing in his head. Caroline Unger, the contralto who had so berated him in rehearsal, stepped forward. Gently she tapped Beethoven on the shoulder, nodded encouragingly at his bewildered face, and turned him to face the cheering audience.
At that moment Beethoven knew the gift he had given the world'
July 8, 2018
Review to follow....for now....wow!
Well....here goes nothing....
Beethoven is one of those names that come to mind when the words classical, music, Vienna, simphony are pronounced, but how much does one - of non musical background - actually know about the man himself?
There's of course that beautiful performance by Gary Oldman, the occasional mentions of his immortal beloved and duh...the many gorgeous pieces he composed over his lifetime.
What Mr. Suchet does here, and impeccably well in my personal opinion, is tie all those mentions populating our minds of the man, his life and work together in one fascinating tale that is, or was for me, impossible to put down.
I think if I was asked to choose one word to sum up not only this book but also Beethoven....daring endeavor I know....it would be feeling.
The intensity with which he approached every moment of his life, both personally and professionally is nothing short of remarkable and yes, for me anyways, draining.
One can't help but arrive at the end of this one feeling.... there's that word again....as if one had just ran the marathon. John Suchet explains his goal was to write a book for the non musical experts, for the guy/girl next door who probably knows 15 of Beethoven's compositions but can only name one....yep 9th simphony....and he succeeded beautifully.
This is book isn't just a biography of a remarkably talented man... cliche or not let's face it, he was a bloody genius....it's a labour of love and an ode to a man than changed classical music and opened a whole new range of possibilities for the generations that followed.
If I may, a suggestion, as the book progresses Suchet incorporates cleverly and seductively into the tale whatever piece Beethoven was working at the time, explaining them and decoding them for the non music experts....please if you have the time, get yourselfs listening to the pieces as they are incorporated within the story of his life, shedding a new light on Beethoven that is most definitely worth looking into.
It made my own personal reading experience 10 times better and left me with a new found respect and appreciation of just how brilliant Ludwig V Beethoven was.
By all means enjoy the book, best bio i have read in years, but also enjoy the music...as with anything else related to Beethoven, it's a hell of a ride!
Happy Readings!!
Well....here goes nothing....
Beethoven is one of those names that come to mind when the words classical, music, Vienna, simphony are pronounced, but how much does one - of non musical background - actually know about the man himself?
There's of course that beautiful performance by Gary Oldman, the occasional mentions of his immortal beloved and duh...the many gorgeous pieces he composed over his lifetime.
What Mr. Suchet does here, and impeccably well in my personal opinion, is tie all those mentions populating our minds of the man, his life and work together in one fascinating tale that is, or was for me, impossible to put down.
I think if I was asked to choose one word to sum up not only this book but also Beethoven....daring endeavor I know....it would be feeling.
The intensity with which he approached every moment of his life, both personally and professionally is nothing short of remarkable and yes, for me anyways, draining.
One can't help but arrive at the end of this one feeling.... there's that word again....as if one had just ran the marathon. John Suchet explains his goal was to write a book for the non musical experts, for the guy/girl next door who probably knows 15 of Beethoven's compositions but can only name one....yep 9th simphony....and he succeeded beautifully.
This is book isn't just a biography of a remarkably talented man... cliche or not let's face it, he was a bloody genius....it's a labour of love and an ode to a man than changed classical music and opened a whole new range of possibilities for the generations that followed.
If I may, a suggestion, as the book progresses Suchet incorporates cleverly and seductively into the tale whatever piece Beethoven was working at the time, explaining them and decoding them for the non music experts....please if you have the time, get yourselfs listening to the pieces as they are incorporated within the story of his life, shedding a new light on Beethoven that is most definitely worth looking into.
It made my own personal reading experience 10 times better and left me with a new found respect and appreciation of just how brilliant Ludwig V Beethoven was.
By all means enjoy the book, best bio i have read in years, but also enjoy the music...as with anything else related to Beethoven, it's a hell of a ride!
Happy Readings!!
January 8, 2025
亘賴 丕蹖賳 賮讴乇 賲蹖讴賳賲 讴賴 賳亘賵睾 蹖讴 賴賲趩蹖賳 亘夭乇诏賵丕乇 賵 爻鬲丕蹖卮 卮丿賴 丕蹖 趩賯丿乇 亘丕 囟毓賮 賴丕蹖 卮禺氐蹖鬲蹖 賵 趩賯丿乇 亘丕 丌爻蹖亘 賴丕蹖蹖 讴賴 丕夭 賳夭丿蹖讴鬲乇蹖賳 丌丿賲丕蹖 夭賳丿诏蹖卮 丿蹖丿賴貙 丿乇賴賲 鬲賳蹖丿賴 卮丿賴 賵 禺蹖賱蹖 噩丕蹖 賮讴乇 丿丕乇賴鈥�
June 27, 2014
This book was excellent, principily because, although I am a musician and I am comfortable with reading sheet music, the idea of reading through analysed scores is often like trudging through mud, because you don't always agree with every thing a person might think. Every musician interprets music differently. Yes there should be some analysis, but if you over analyse music then you only extract the original emotion that was the authors intent from the music, meaning you do not feel what you should when you perform it. So it was a wonderful change to pick up a book, that showed the composer as a human and not just a source of effortlessly brilliant pieces of genius. Reading this book was like growing up with Beethoven in a small German village, going with him through every thing that led to him being who he ended up being, the man he became known as and died true to. There were so many funny moments, such as piano battles where he disgraced prominent figures, where he acted rashly, where he made true friends and embarrassed himself. There were humble moments, where you could only recognize him as a human being, where you saw him cast away from love and family, in to solitude where only his music could understand him. I think that is some thing every musician including myself, finds an important feature of Beethovens music. Its taken me quite a while to finish this book, simply because I am one more accustomed to reading fiction than non fiction, and also because it is such a large book and I felt I needed to concentrate more in order to visualize Beethovens world as it was. By doing this, I preserved every page. Suchet has a way of capturing life on a page that I have never seen before. The way he describes Beethoven living through even the most trivial of things is fascinating, it makes him seem almost the human immortal. By the end of this book, which I have finished literally moments ago, I was heart broken, drained entirely. Because, you grow up with Beethoven in this book, you really get to know him and every thing about it him. It makes him seem like a person who is here now, not a person who is long gone. To find that he died the day before my birthday so many years before I was born, is some thing that shocked me. How could I have not known that? To have Suchets art of capturing every critical detail, every important facet, it made me feel there, a ghost in a room that no longer really exists as it was, the people and past behind it long faded. It felt like I was there watching him leave this world, the world through which he created so much magic. Even if you are not a musician I highly recommend this book. Just give it a real effort, force yourself through the first few chapters to the interesting adult mind and see just how similar to the rest of us even Beethoven, the great and powerful, was. See that even in the greatest and most highly acclaimed of spirits, there lies a very much human heart and soul.
October 15, 2013
In this very readable and engaging biography of Beethoven, John Suchet makes no claim to having discovered new facts about the composer鈥檚 life but believes that his approach to his subject, concentrating as it does on the man rather than the musician, offers the reader a real insight into this most difficult and challenging character. Suchet is a Beethoven scholar and life-long admirer, and wants to show the composer as the complex human being he was. He believes that knowing about the life makes you listen to the music through different ears, and that it helps your appreciation to know what was going on in the composer鈥檚 life at the time he wrote his great works.
Aimed at enthusiasts, lovers of music and the general reader, rather than at musicologists, the book succeeds on many levels. Informative, and drawing on many sources, it brings Beethoven to life as a fully-rounded person. There is, however, a certain amount of speculation and imaginative interpretation of events, and occasionally the fictionalising of these rings hollow. For me, there was a little too much conjecture at times, especially in the imagined conversations. But Suchet is unapologetic about this. 鈥淭his is shameless fictionalising, I readily admit,鈥� he says at one point, 鈥渂ut it gives a flavour of what I believe probably happened.鈥� He admits that there are many questions to which we cannot possibly know the answers, and feels that speculation is fully justified. Certainly it makes for a very enjoyable read, but I did find it all a little too romanticised for comfort at times.
Nevertheless, this is a small quibble, and essentially Suchet has done a wonderful job in bringing the man and his music to life in convincing detail.
Aimed at enthusiasts, lovers of music and the general reader, rather than at musicologists, the book succeeds on many levels. Informative, and drawing on many sources, it brings Beethoven to life as a fully-rounded person. There is, however, a certain amount of speculation and imaginative interpretation of events, and occasionally the fictionalising of these rings hollow. For me, there was a little too much conjecture at times, especially in the imagined conversations. But Suchet is unapologetic about this. 鈥淭his is shameless fictionalising, I readily admit,鈥� he says at one point, 鈥渂ut it gives a flavour of what I believe probably happened.鈥� He admits that there are many questions to which we cannot possibly know the answers, and feels that speculation is fully justified. Certainly it makes for a very enjoyable read, but I did find it all a little too romanticised for comfort at times.
Nevertheless, this is a small quibble, and essentially Suchet has done a wonderful job in bringing the man and his music to life in convincing detail.
January 12, 2015
Imagine you come to a grand museum or sanctuary--let's call it Beethoven Land. Tours are available and have been for some time--at this point they're a major mini-industry. You approach the tour guide and ask for his guidance. He tells you that you're in luck, that his tour will give you special insight into music that prompted this institution. He explains that instead of analyzing the music itself, he'll focus on the day-to-day life of its composer.
The tour begins. It follows a laid out plan followed by most guides who came before. You know it well: the childhood, Vienna, Haydn, Eroica, etc. Your tour guide acts as if he was a witness to it all, inserting himself into the narrative. He details the gossip, hyperbolizes upon their significance, over-reads into trivia, and engages in wanton speculation. And his promise? What of the music that prompted your visit? It's mentioned here or there in a few sentences--maybe an occasional paragraph--but it always leaves you wanting more.
The tour ends. He pats you all on the back and smiles triumphant. You're a bit bewildered, and seek solace in the the music that brought you here.
* * *
Ultimately, the book's an easy ride, but I feel like my time would've been better spent re-listening to the music. I picked up some trivia and neat anecdotes, sure, but at the price of needing to separate the fact from fiction.
The tour begins. It follows a laid out plan followed by most guides who came before. You know it well: the childhood, Vienna, Haydn, Eroica, etc. Your tour guide acts as if he was a witness to it all, inserting himself into the narrative. He details the gossip, hyperbolizes upon their significance, over-reads into trivia, and engages in wanton speculation. And his promise? What of the music that prompted your visit? It's mentioned here or there in a few sentences--maybe an occasional paragraph--but it always leaves you wanting more.
The tour ends. He pats you all on the back and smiles triumphant. You're a bit bewildered, and seek solace in the the music that brought you here.
* * *
Ultimately, the book's an easy ride, but I feel like my time would've been better spent re-listening to the music. I picked up some trivia and neat anecdotes, sure, but at the price of needing to separate the fact from fiction.
November 28, 2021
This is a popular level biography written in an engaging narrative. No musical analysis, and no new facts or hypotheses about Beethoven's life or music.
I think it's the best introductory biographical book out there for Beethoven fans who are curious enough about the stormy composer to learn a little bit about who he was, but not so interested that they need concern themselves over historical debates and scholarly details.
It's an engrossing read and Suchet brings out the agonizing emotional turmoil, and mental anguish, that Beethoven experienced most of his life.
I think it's the best introductory biographical book out there for Beethoven fans who are curious enough about the stormy composer to learn a little bit about who he was, but not so interested that they need concern themselves over historical debates and scholarly details.
It's an engrossing read and Suchet brings out the agonizing emotional turmoil, and mental anguish, that Beethoven experienced most of his life.
November 27, 2013
While I am a lover of biographies and other such related works, I am not a musician or anything of the like. With that said, I elected to read Beethoven: The Man Revealed by John Suchet because I have a general appreciation for Beethoven's music, and I wanted to understand him more.
Truly one of the greatest composers of all time, Beethoven lived a tragically romantic life. His story, as revealed by Suchet, is one of color, movement, and adversity. From early childhood up until his death, Beethoven was challenged greatly. His family life, his relationships, his behavior, his triumphs, his struggles, it all shaped him and made him and the music he composed compelling.
I enjoyed reading this book very much. I would definitely recommend it to Beethoven enthusiasts.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review. The words I have expressed are my own.
Truly one of the greatest composers of all time, Beethoven lived a tragically romantic life. His story, as revealed by Suchet, is one of color, movement, and adversity. From early childhood up until his death, Beethoven was challenged greatly. His family life, his relationships, his behavior, his triumphs, his struggles, it all shaped him and made him and the music he composed compelling.
I enjoyed reading this book very much. I would definitely recommend it to Beethoven enthusiasts.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review. The words I have expressed are my own.
August 11, 2020
It is a mountain to climb to write about one of the most gifted musicians of all time (the best to me par with Bach) and John Suchet did a wonderful job in doing so. The book sheds light on Beethoven鈥檚 life from childhood to death with great detail. Made me smile in parts and brought tears to my eyes in others. It鈥檚 a bliss to read the book while listening to his music. All respect to John Suchet for the great biography.
November 3, 2022
Underwritten fabulation, mostly because Suchet is trying to wring a narrative from unreliable fragments and anecdotes. The amount of times he says "I confess the conversation and that last quote are drawn from my imagination..." in the first 4 chapters is enough to make one consider returning the book. Despite the acknowledgement, this much pure invention is un-biographical. If you're going to fictionalize, then just write alluring fiction for christsake! The broad strokes, while comprehensive and gossipy, are far too plainly written. His prose style resembles the quotidian musings of a simpleton.
______________
On the child Beethoven's handwriting:
"His handwriting was close to illegible,
his punctuation and spelling poor, and he was useless with
figures 鈥� there is evidence later on that he could not add up
his household bills. In later life his signatures were often so
erratic that future musicologists had trouble deciding
whether some were authentic."
On meeting Mozart:
"Ludwig was taken to Mozart, who asked him to sit at the
piano and play something. Ludwig did this, but Mozart was
cool in his praise, saying he had obviously prepared a
showpiece specially. Ludwig then asked Mozart to give him a
theme that he could improvise on. Mozart did so, and Ludwig
began to improvise. His playing became more and more
elaborate, because he was inspired in the presence of the
master musician whom he so greatly admired. Mozart became
more and more impressed, and finally, without saying
anything to Ludwig, went into the adjoining room where some
friends were sitting, and said, 鈥榃atch out for that boy, one day
he will give the world something to talk about."
On the contest with Steibelt:
With
one finger he hammered out a series of notes from the first
bar of Steibelt鈥檚 music. He made it sound exactly what it was:
crude and unsophisticated. He then began to improvise. And
boy, did he improvise. He imitated Steibelt鈥檚 playing, he
unpicked it and put it back together again, he played some
tremolandos, emphasising their absurdity. He played in a way
no salon audience had heard before, and that Steibelt could
not have believed was humanly possible.
It is easy to picture that powerful head, hair untamed,
clothes inappropriate, fingers moving in a blur, no doubt
singing, shouting, quite possibly hurling insults at the
Prussian, who was probably sitting, back erect, powdered wig
in place, clothes perfectly fitting, fingers curling tighter and
tighter, as he realised he was not just being outplayed, he was
being humiliated 鈥� in front of the most sophisticated musical
gathering in the most sophisticated musical city in Europe.
Steibelt did not sit that way for long. With Beethoven still
playing, he rose from his chair and strode out of the salon. He
made it clear he never wanted to meet Beethoven again, and
that if ever he was invited to perform again in Vienna, he
would do so only if Beethoven was not present.
On becoming deaf:
"My ears continue to hum and buzz day and night. I must
confess that I lead a miserable life. For almost two years I have
ceased to attend any social functions, simply because I find it
impossible to say to people: I am deaf. If I had any other
profession I might be able to cope with my infirmity. But in my
profession it is a terrible handicap ... As for the spoken voice, it
is surprising that some people have never noticed my
deafness. But since I have always been liable to fits of absent-
mindedness, they attribute my hardness of hearing to that.
Sometimes I can scarcely hear a person who speaks softly. I
can hear sounds, it is true, but cannot make out the words."
"But what a humiliation when someone next to me heard a flute in
the distance and I heard nothing, or someone heard the
shepherd sing, and again I heard nothing. Such things have
brought me near to despair. Only a little more and I would
even have ended my life. Only my art, that is all that held me
back. It would have been impossible for me to leave this world
until I had brought forth everything that was within me, and
so I continued to eke out a miserable existence 鈥� truly
miserable, my condition so sensitive, that a sudden change of
mood could plunge me from happiness into despair 鈥� Patience
鈥� that is what I must now let guide me, and what I have let
guide me 鈥� I hope above all that I will be resolute enough to
wait until pitiless fate determines to break the thread. Maybe
my health will improve, maybe not. Whatever, I am prepared.
Already in my 28th year I was forced to accept my fate, and
that is not easy, in fact it is harder for an artist than for
anybody. "
On the infamous third Piano Concerto performance:
"Beethoven asked Seyfried to turn the pages for him. But,
鈥榓s was so often the case鈥�, says Seyfried, Beethoven had not
had time to put it all down on paper. Seyfried鈥檚 blood ran cold
when he looked at the piano part on the stand and saw almost
nothing but empty sheets of paper. 鈥楢t the most on one page or
the other a few Egyptian hieroglyphics which were wholly
unintelligible to me, scribbled down to serve as clues for him
... He gave me a secret glance whenever he was at the end of
one of the invisible passages, and my scarcely concealable
anxiety not to miss the decisive moment amused him greatly,
and he laughed heartily at the jovial supper which we ate
补蹿迟别谤飞补谤诲蝉.鈥�"
etcetera
______________
On the child Beethoven's handwriting:
"His handwriting was close to illegible,
his punctuation and spelling poor, and he was useless with
figures 鈥� there is evidence later on that he could not add up
his household bills. In later life his signatures were often so
erratic that future musicologists had trouble deciding
whether some were authentic."
On meeting Mozart:
"Ludwig was taken to Mozart, who asked him to sit at the
piano and play something. Ludwig did this, but Mozart was
cool in his praise, saying he had obviously prepared a
showpiece specially. Ludwig then asked Mozart to give him a
theme that he could improvise on. Mozart did so, and Ludwig
began to improvise. His playing became more and more
elaborate, because he was inspired in the presence of the
master musician whom he so greatly admired. Mozart became
more and more impressed, and finally, without saying
anything to Ludwig, went into the adjoining room where some
friends were sitting, and said, 鈥榃atch out for that boy, one day
he will give the world something to talk about."
On the contest with Steibelt:
With
one finger he hammered out a series of notes from the first
bar of Steibelt鈥檚 music. He made it sound exactly what it was:
crude and unsophisticated. He then began to improvise. And
boy, did he improvise. He imitated Steibelt鈥檚 playing, he
unpicked it and put it back together again, he played some
tremolandos, emphasising their absurdity. He played in a way
no salon audience had heard before, and that Steibelt could
not have believed was humanly possible.
It is easy to picture that powerful head, hair untamed,
clothes inappropriate, fingers moving in a blur, no doubt
singing, shouting, quite possibly hurling insults at the
Prussian, who was probably sitting, back erect, powdered wig
in place, clothes perfectly fitting, fingers curling tighter and
tighter, as he realised he was not just being outplayed, he was
being humiliated 鈥� in front of the most sophisticated musical
gathering in the most sophisticated musical city in Europe.
Steibelt did not sit that way for long. With Beethoven still
playing, he rose from his chair and strode out of the salon. He
made it clear he never wanted to meet Beethoven again, and
that if ever he was invited to perform again in Vienna, he
would do so only if Beethoven was not present.
On becoming deaf:
"My ears continue to hum and buzz day and night. I must
confess that I lead a miserable life. For almost two years I have
ceased to attend any social functions, simply because I find it
impossible to say to people: I am deaf. If I had any other
profession I might be able to cope with my infirmity. But in my
profession it is a terrible handicap ... As for the spoken voice, it
is surprising that some people have never noticed my
deafness. But since I have always been liable to fits of absent-
mindedness, they attribute my hardness of hearing to that.
Sometimes I can scarcely hear a person who speaks softly. I
can hear sounds, it is true, but cannot make out the words."
"But what a humiliation when someone next to me heard a flute in
the distance and I heard nothing, or someone heard the
shepherd sing, and again I heard nothing. Such things have
brought me near to despair. Only a little more and I would
even have ended my life. Only my art, that is all that held me
back. It would have been impossible for me to leave this world
until I had brought forth everything that was within me, and
so I continued to eke out a miserable existence 鈥� truly
miserable, my condition so sensitive, that a sudden change of
mood could plunge me from happiness into despair 鈥� Patience
鈥� that is what I must now let guide me, and what I have let
guide me 鈥� I hope above all that I will be resolute enough to
wait until pitiless fate determines to break the thread. Maybe
my health will improve, maybe not. Whatever, I am prepared.
Already in my 28th year I was forced to accept my fate, and
that is not easy, in fact it is harder for an artist than for
anybody. "
On the infamous third Piano Concerto performance:
"Beethoven asked Seyfried to turn the pages for him. But,
鈥榓s was so often the case鈥�, says Seyfried, Beethoven had not
had time to put it all down on paper. Seyfried鈥檚 blood ran cold
when he looked at the piano part on the stand and saw almost
nothing but empty sheets of paper. 鈥楢t the most on one page or
the other a few Egyptian hieroglyphics which were wholly
unintelligible to me, scribbled down to serve as clues for him
... He gave me a secret glance whenever he was at the end of
one of the invisible passages, and my scarcely concealable
anxiety not to miss the decisive moment amused him greatly,
and he laughed heartily at the jovial supper which we ate
补蹿迟别谤飞补谤诲蝉.鈥�"
etcetera
April 3, 2014
What a fascinating man Beethoven was. I took my time reading this book - it's not one of those page-turners that you can't put down. It makes me wonder if eccentricity is a side-effect of genius or an excuse for bad behavior. I don't know. I've very glad we have his music and I'm also happy I never had to live with the man! What a history! What wonders he left for all of us to enjoy.
March 14, 2016
Very informative...while pretty speculative at times, it's interesting to get a look into his life and get insight into Beethoven the man. I enjoyed it a lot!
March 15, 2020
This book told the story of Beethoven鈥檚 life. There was a section at the end detailing his work. As a lover of music, but not a musicologist, I felt this book was ideal. John Suchet writes so well and has completed so much research to produce this book. The book is very readable, giving just the right amount of detail about the music and a tremendous amount about Beethoven the man. I bought this book after attending a weekend festival of Beethoven鈥檚 symphonies at which John Suchet presented an introduction to each concert. His talks got me really interested in Beethoven the person and his book has helped me explore this. In the 250 Anniversary year of the composer鈥檚 birth this is recommended reading.
August 18, 2023
This book left me breathless... in a good way....I LOVE Beethoven, his music, him as a person, and I cry when I think of how difficult his life was. Even the author is amazed at what was going on in Beethoven's life when he composed some of his masterpieces. This author is wonderful, smooth writer and he did tons of research. Apparently Beethoven is his favorite composer over several others. He has written other composer books...I had just read the one on Johann Strauss, Jr. and was impressed by his conversational and smooth writing....he just makes you feel like you're sitting with him and conversing about the person. As most people know, Beethoven started losing his hearing rather young, and it progressed as he aged...plus he came from a difficult family, with lots of problems, which he tried sometimes unsuccessfully to resolve. Some problems had NO solutions. Beethoven was a genius as far as his music...so he had a rather eccentric personality that was a bit difficult at times, but he had a big heart. I would loved to have known him. I hope I would have accepted him with all his flaws, because his music is so wonderful, satisfying and fulfilling.
September 25, 2020
I'd been wanting a layman's biography of Beethoven for a while and discovered this one in my Twitter feed a month or so ago. You do not need the ability to read music or understand the difference between major and minor keys to get everything from this bio that Suchet delivers. It's all about the person, the genius of Beethoven. An easy read, a quick read but contains the emotional and historical elements deserving of a great artist. 5*
December 6, 2017
This novel focuses more on the man than the music -- but certainly does not ignore the music. The author inserts himself nicely into the narrative, telling his readers when to pay attention to minor events because they have an important role later. I really enjoyed his writing style. Also, I am soooooooooo lucky to live in a time with sanitary, advanced, humane medicine. Holy night.
April 10, 2018
I really enjoyed this!
I鈥檝e been working on reading it for a couple of months, even though I bought it 2 yeas ago...
I鈥檝e been working on reading it for a couple of months, even though I bought it 2 yeas ago...
June 22, 2019
I have so far read about one fifth of the book. The reason for why I chose this particular biography of Beethoven over other books is that I immensely enjoyed the Strauss' biography by the same author. As much as I enjoyed the book about Strauss I now struggle with this one. There are too many speculations, anecdotes and "what I think might have happened back then" type of stories. A lot of the events and conversations have only taken place in Mr Suchet's imagination, which he widely admits. A lot of suppositions by the author's own admissions are very far-fetched. I understand that all of this might be due to lack of proven facts, but tbh the idea was to read about Beethoven's life and not how other people imagined it. If there are not enough verifiable information, so be it - to me it would be fairer simply say so and move on. If the author's desire to fill in the book with his own ideas of what Beethoven's life could have been like he should have written a fictional account of famous composer's life. I am still not giving up on the book in a hope that as Beethoven gets more recognition the narration will become of a nature more suitable to a non-fiction book and will post an update as soon as I have something to say
This is the promised update. The book did improve when Beethoven's fame became more established and more evidence became available to provide us with a glimpse into his life. Still, even though there were less opinions and suppositions and more facts I found myself time and again in an utter disbelief that I am reading a book of the same author who wrote Strauss' biography, which I read in almost one sitting and which kept me absorbed throughout. At this moment I am struggling to find a satisfactory explanation to this but on an emotional level the Beethoven story felt rushed and the narration simply wouldn't flow. In the end of each chapter there was a line saying the events described in the next one had a most profound, or a most dramatic, or a biggest effect on the composer life as if the reader wouldn't go on without extra push. I am glad that I read the Strauss' biography first as it is a wonderful book, which I'd never have read had I come across this book first. On the other hand, I wish I'd found a better written Beethoven's biography to enjoy reading it more. The book and the style it is written in have nothing to do with the story of Beethoven, who was a hugely strong personality and extraordinary genius whose life was largely shaped by tragic events and misfortunes. I was profoundly upset by his nephew's story but still found admirable Beethoven's inability and unwillingness to comply with social norms and rules based on status, class and prejudices. Perhaps, he was born ahead of his time?
This is the promised update. The book did improve when Beethoven's fame became more established and more evidence became available to provide us with a glimpse into his life. Still, even though there were less opinions and suppositions and more facts I found myself time and again in an utter disbelief that I am reading a book of the same author who wrote Strauss' biography, which I read in almost one sitting and which kept me absorbed throughout. At this moment I am struggling to find a satisfactory explanation to this but on an emotional level the Beethoven story felt rushed and the narration simply wouldn't flow. In the end of each chapter there was a line saying the events described in the next one had a most profound, or a most dramatic, or a biggest effect on the composer life as if the reader wouldn't go on without extra push. I am glad that I read the Strauss' biography first as it is a wonderful book, which I'd never have read had I come across this book first. On the other hand, I wish I'd found a better written Beethoven's biography to enjoy reading it more. The book and the style it is written in have nothing to do with the story of Beethoven, who was a hugely strong personality and extraordinary genius whose life was largely shaped by tragic events and misfortunes. I was profoundly upset by his nephew's story but still found admirable Beethoven's inability and unwillingness to comply with social norms and rules based on status, class and prejudices. Perhaps, he was born ahead of his time?
November 13, 2017
Most certainly a troubled soul. I am glad to have finally found a biography that is not technical. This book was about the man and his music without going into music theory.
Beethoven certainly was gifted with immense musical talent both in performance and composition. He was always very proud, irritable, paranoid and even brutal to others. His treatment of his nephew if the accounts in this book are true, was inexcusable.
He wanted to get married, but with his volcanic temperament it is no wonder that no one would remotely consider marriage to him.
There are instances in the book where Beethoven was kind and pleasant, however those instances were far too rare.
No doubt his difficult childhood had an impact on him, that has to be taken into account.
On numerous occasions he bit the hands that fed him. These patrons liked Beethoven, he simply became angry with them for some reason, usually not a very one.
I liked getting a sense of Austria during this time period. When his nephew tried committing suicide the doctor was required to report it to the authorities. After he recovered he was required to go to jail until a priest certified that he sufficiently knew his Catholic faith. Also, at Beethoven's funeral the eulogy was not allowed to be read at the grave site as this interfered with the Catholic ritual. It was given at the entrance to the cemetery.
I also liked his surprisingly positive comments about Haydn and Handel.
Interesting book about a person who has had a tremendous impact on western civilization.
Beethoven certainly was gifted with immense musical talent both in performance and composition. He was always very proud, irritable, paranoid and even brutal to others. His treatment of his nephew if the accounts in this book are true, was inexcusable.
He wanted to get married, but with his volcanic temperament it is no wonder that no one would remotely consider marriage to him.
There are instances in the book where Beethoven was kind and pleasant, however those instances were far too rare.
No doubt his difficult childhood had an impact on him, that has to be taken into account.
On numerous occasions he bit the hands that fed him. These patrons liked Beethoven, he simply became angry with them for some reason, usually not a very one.
I liked getting a sense of Austria during this time period. When his nephew tried committing suicide the doctor was required to report it to the authorities. After he recovered he was required to go to jail until a priest certified that he sufficiently knew his Catholic faith. Also, at Beethoven's funeral the eulogy was not allowed to be read at the grave site as this interfered with the Catholic ritual. It was given at the entrance to the cemetery.
I also liked his surprisingly positive comments about Haydn and Handel.
Interesting book about a person who has had a tremendous impact on western civilization.
July 25, 2023
An interesting and very readable review of the family and personal issues Beethoven faced from an early age and how these impacted his music. John Suchet clearly states where his writing is speculation rather than fact but this is not intended to be an academic review and in my view these statements and stories add interest to the narrative. I was interested to read that he continued to compose throughout any and every difficulty he experienced - and there were many. It certainly makes you appreciate his music even more.
September 8, 2013
I was expecting something different, with a more careful eye to the musical life of this composer, but this book, however well documented, offers only the vision on the biography of the author, and appointing the works gradually. Clear that it is also useful to know what was going on at that time to the musician to get an idea of the whole situation, but I would have preferred less soap opera and more music.
Mi aspettavo qualcosa di diverso, con un occhio pi煤 attento alla parte musicale della vita di questo compositore, invece questo libro, per quanto ben documentato, offre solo la visione sulla parte biografica dell'autore e nominando le opere via via. Chiaro che serve anche sapere quello che stava succedendo in quel momento al musicista per avere un'idea d'insieme pi煤 chiara del tutto, ma avrei preferito meno telenovela e pi煤 musica.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND GROVE ATLANTIC FOR THE PREVIEW!
Mi aspettavo qualcosa di diverso, con un occhio pi煤 attento alla parte musicale della vita di questo compositore, invece questo libro, per quanto ben documentato, offre solo la visione sulla parte biografica dell'autore e nominando le opere via via. Chiaro che serve anche sapere quello che stava succedendo in quel momento al musicista per avere un'idea d'insieme pi煤 chiara del tutto, ma avrei preferito meno telenovela e pi煤 musica.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND GROVE ATLANTIC FOR THE PREVIEW!
December 12, 2015
This really is a wonderful book. It was very refreshing to read a book about Beethoven the man, yes, the man. OK, OK, it helps to understand the music and put his personality and life into perspective but it really did focus on him and his experiences of life. I found that really refreshing. Obviously written by someone who admires this great man and his music but it concentrated on him. I had hoped that it would be exposed that he were actually a wonderful, congenial gentleman but, using direct first hand evidence in many cases this seems most definitely not to have been the case. At times I felt uncomfortable reading about how he was perceived and seen by those around him. Maybe he would not have had to suffer with such inner turmoil if he were born today - one hopes that, perhaps, that would have been the case. The counter argument - we may never have been party to the experience of his musical majesty.
April 16, 2019
Whilst not for the scholar, this book offers a wonderful insight into Beethoven; his life and music. It鈥檚 sensitively written and gives room for an empathetic understanding of the man; his brilliance, his flaws and his goodness. And his sense of humour. It correlates his music with specific times in his life. I often played a piece whilst reading about its inspiration, composition or performance. It gave me a rich new understanding and appreciation for the 艙uvre of one of the greatest and most innovative composers in history. It will be referred to again to help me in further developing my understanding of Beethoven and his music.
January 25, 2020
This is a biography for musicians and non-musicians alike. This book claims to be about Beethoven the man, not about the music of Beethoven. In this, Suchet delivers. Naturally, Beethoven's life is significant because of his music, but Suchet doesn't spend time delving into the details of his music except as the events of his life have an impact on it. There are some areas of Beethoven's life that are unclear; as such, historians have speculated as to what really happened in those instances. Suchet is good to differentiate between what is known, what is presumed and what is speculated. Overall, a great biography of a great composer.
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