Overview

Born in Bonn, Germany, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) showed musical talent from an early age and was first taught by his musician father, Johann, an alcoholic who often beat his son. At the age of 21, Beethoven moved to Vienna, where he studied with composer Joseph Haydn, and quickly became renowned as a pianist and conductor, as well as a composer. He continued to perform until 1811 when increasing deafness made it impossible, but until his death in 1827, he continued to create timeless works, including such masterpieces as the Ninth Symphony and the late string quartets. Plagued by illness and repeatedly thwarted in love, Beethoven rarely achieved personal happiness; yet he transcended the many setbacks and disappointments in his life to produce some of the greatest music ever written, which has come to be identified with the indomitableness of the human spirit.In Simply Beethoven, Professor Leon Plantinga offers the lay reader a fascinating account of Beethoven's life and music in its singular historical context, a time that saw the upheaval of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic conquests, as well as the rise of the European middle class. It was in this milieu that Beethoven composed the groundbreaking, highly individual works that changed the course of music and have continued to inspire and delight listeners for more than two centuries.For anyone who is interested in knowing more about the extraordinary music that has become an integral part of Western culture, as well as the troubled genius who created it, Simply Beethoven is a perfect introduction to the man and his work.

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9781943657643

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Reviews

"""Simply Beethoven is a brief and eminently readable introduction to the life and works of the revered composer. Plantinga offers the layman reliable information based on his many years as a renowned scholar of the musical world of late-eighteenth and nineteenth-century Europe. This book taps into his long and vast experience as a musicologist and educator, bringing to life the spirit of Beethoven and the turbulent times that stood as the backdrop of his extraordinary creative life. A must-read for lovers of Beethoven seeking a short and reliable introduction to history's most powerfully influential composer."" -David Benjamin Levy, author of Beethoven: The Ninth Symphony and Professor of Music, Wake Forest University ""A succinct, insightful synthesis, presented in colorful but precise prose, by the dean of Beethoven studies. The many, little-known primary source descriptions of Beethoven are themselves worth the price of this book. If you want to learn about the life and art of Beethoven, Plantinga's offering is by far the most efficient and pleasurable book available."" -Craig Wright, author of The Hidden Habits of Genius and Professor of Music, Yale University ""Leon Plantinga presents the ever-inspiring story of Beethoven's life, music, and legacy with imagination and verve, including a wealth of colorfully telling details that keep the pages turning."" -Scott Burnham, Graduate Center, City University of New York ""An eminently accessible traversal of Beethoven's life and principal works, enlightening and consistently entertaining. It affords the layperson a perspective laced with erudition but free of jargon. Highly recommended."" -Robert Levin, pianist and Emeritus Professor of Music, Harvard University ""This is an elegant, delightful, concise and richly informative introduction to Beethoven, the man and his music, written by a distinguished scholar whose breadth of learning and measured judgment are present on every page."" -Leon Botstein, music director and principal conductor of the American Symphony Orchestra and president of Bard College ""This is a fine introduction for the non-specialist by an eminent specialist. Professor Plantinga, author of the definitive study of Beethoven's piano concertos, has done a masterful job synthesizing the vast scholarship on Beethoven and making it accessible to the general reader."" -Stephen Hinton, Avalon Foundation Professor in the Humanities, Stanford University"

Simply Beethoven is a brief and eminently readable introduction to the life and works of the revered composer. Plantinga offers the layman reliable information based on his many years as a renowned scholar of the musical world of late-eighteenth and nineteenth-century Europe. This book taps into his long and vast experience as a musicologist and educator, bringing to life the spirit of Beethoven and the turbulent times that stood as the backdrop of his extraordinary creative life. A must-read for lovers of Beethoven seeking a short and reliable introduction to history's most powerfully influential composer. -David Benjamin Levy, author of Beethoven: The Ninth Symphony and Professor of Music, Wake Forest University A succinct, insightful synthesis, presented in colorful but precise prose, by the dean of Beethoven studies. The many, little-known primary source descriptions of Beethoven are themselves worth the price of this book. If you want to learn about the life and art of Beethoven, Plantinga's offering is by far the most efficient and pleasurable book available. -Craig Wright, author of The Hidden Habits of Genius and Professor of Music, Yale University Leon Plantinga presents the ever-inspiring story of Beethoven's life, music, and legacy with imagination and verve, including a wealth of colorfully telling details that keep the pages turning. -Scott Burnham, Graduate Center, City University of New York An eminently accessible traversal of Beethoven's life and principal works, enlightening and consistently entertaining. It affords the layperson a perspective laced with erudition but free of jargon. Highly recommended. -Robert Levin, pianist and Emeritus Professor of Music, Harvard University This is an elegant, delightful, concise and richly informative introduction to Beethoven, the man and his music, written by a distinguished scholar whose breadth of learning and measured judgment are present on every page. -Leon Botstein, music director and principal conductor of the American Symphony Orchestra and president of Bard College This is a fine introduction for the non-specialist by an eminent specialist. Professor Plantinga, author of the definitive study of Beethoven's piano concertos, has done a masterful job synthesizing the vast scholarship on Beethoven and making it accessible to the general reader. -Stephen Hinton, Avalon Foundation Professor in the Humanities, Stanford University

Author Information

Leon Plantinga is Professor Emeritus of Music at Yale University, where he taught from 1963 to 2005. His books include Romantic Music: A History of Musical Style in Nineteenth-Century Europe (1984), which serves as a standard textbook in American universities, and Beethoven's Concertos: History, Style, Performance (1999). Prof. Plantinga has also written many articles and reviews on European music, ca. 1750-1900.

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