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Why Beethoven

A Phenomenon in 100 Pieces
By Norman Lebrecht
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Check link for latest rating. ( 65 ratings, 14 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Why Beethoven by Norman Lebrecht delves into the life and legacy of Ludwig van Beethoven, offering a fresh perspective on the legendary composer. The book explores his influence on music and culture, uncovering personal anecdotes and historical contexts that shaped his work. Lebrecht combines biography with cultural analysis, making the narrative both engaging and insightful.
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Format: Hardback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are fascinated by the life and impact of legendary composers, appreciate detailed musical analysis, or seek to understand how Beethoven's music continues to resonate and influence the world today. Its biographical insights provide a rich context for enthusiasts of classical music and history.

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Why Beethoven

Beethoven’s life and legacy in 100 recordings

Beethoven’s life and legacy in 100 recordings

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Without Beethoven, music as we know it wouldn’t exist.

There’d be no Wagner, Verdi, Mahler, Nina Simone, Michael Jackson, down to cello-playing Ed Sheeran. Norman Lebrecht asks: why? Who was this titan of world culture?

In 100 recordings, freely available on Idagio and YouTube, Lebrecht brings to life the composer as we’ve never seen him before. Unruly, offensive and hopeless in his housekeeping, yes, but driven to a fault and devoted to his art: conquering deafness to pen the Missa Solemnis.

Along the way, we encounter Beethoven’s performers across the centuries, in their glories and in their foibles. In this salacious and salutary biography, Beethoven emerges as the cornerstone of the world as we know it.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Norman Lebrecht's exploration of Beethoven is described as both an insightful and entertaining guide to the composer's music and recordings. His approach includes analysing 100 of Beethoven's pieces, offering concise insights into their origins, significance, and recommended recordings. Reviewers praise the book for its engaging style, making it suitable for both newcomers and seasoned listeners, while also highlighting Beethoven's enduring relevance in contemporary times.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780861544530

Publisher: Oneworld Publications

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 02 February 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Oneworld Publications

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 30.0mm

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 352

Collections

Arts & Culture Biography & Memoir Musicians, Movie Stars & Creative Biographies Non-Fiction Norman Lebrecht

About the Author

Norman Lebrecht is the author of twelve works of non-fiction, including Genius and Anxiety, also published by Oneworld, and the international bestsellers The Maestro Myth, Why Mahler? and The Life and Death of Classical Music, which have been translated into seventeen languages. His first novel, The Song of Names, won a Whitbread Award and is now an award-winning film. He writes for the Spectator and the Wall Street Journal, and is working on his fourth novel. He lives in London. @NLebrecht    normanlebrecht.com

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