This remarkable illustration combines Beethoven's musical and biographical stories with his historical and artistic contexts. Lewis Lockwood sketches the turbulent personal, historical, political, and cultural contexts in which Beethoven worked and examines their effects on his music. Lockwood's interpretation is imbued with poetry and clarity, offering a connection between Beethoven's works and the social and political context of their creation. Lockwood has written a biography of Beethoven where the hours spent writing music are properly integrated with the external events of his career.

This book is essential for the interested reader, as the discussion on music is based on a deep understanding of context and compositional processes, explaining and evaluating them simultaneously. The result is an exceptionally insightful work that presents the man and the music as a unity.

This landmark work is fully accessible to the interested amateur and immediately ranks among the essential references for this composer and his music.

Pages: 624, Year of Publication: 0108, Dimensions: 15.5x15.5cm