Beethoven: A Life in Nine Pieces

About the Book

An authoritative and refreshing account of Beethoven's life and music Ludwig van Beethoven- to some, simply the greatest ever composer of Western classical music. Yet his life remains shrouded in myths, and the image persists of him as an eccentric genius shaking his fist at heaven. Beethoven by Oxford professor Laura Tunbridge cuts through the noise in a refreshing way. Each chapter focuses on a period of his life, a piece of music and a revealing theme, from family to friends, from heroism to liberty. This tour de force provides a fresh overview and a wealth of material that has never been revealed before. It's a compelling, human portrayal of Beethoven and a fascinating journey into one of the world's most amazing creative minds.

About the Author :
Laura Tunbridge is Professor of Music and Henfrey Fellow of St Catherine's College at the University of Oxford. She is the author of three monographs (Schumann's Late Style, The Song Cycle and Singing in the Age of Anxiety), the recipient of a three-year Major Research Fellowship from the Leverhulme Trust for a project on string quartets, and the winner of the 2021 Dent Medal, awarded by the Royal Musical Association for outstanding contributions to musicology. She has spoken about Beethoven on BBC Radio 4 and at major events, including at the Southbank Centre. This is her first trade book.

Review :
We are doubly blessed that Beethoven should have led such an extraordinary life. Laura has combined the two - the genius of his music and the richness of his experiences - to shine a revealing light on our greatest composer Elegant, enquiring and best read with the music turned up

I found Tunbridge's book full of thought-provoking detail. Beethoven may be irredeemably pale and male, but, in this far-ranging discussion, his life and revolutionary music never feel stale

A concise, subtly revealing survey... emphasizing the many-sidedness of the composer's spirit This book is really wonderful! Nine works of Beethoven from different times in his life tell the story of that life - nine windows through which the man and his music are revealed with captivating clarity. We often speak about the 'universal spirit' of Beethoven but this book also brings to life how he fits into, and indeed creates, the new universe of cultural life which was born as the nineteenth century began. However many books on Beethoven you own, find the space for one more. This one In a year when everyone's looking for a new take on Beethoven, Laura Tunbridge has found nine. It makes great sense to look at the composer not thematically but in selected fragments, taking us nine small steps closer to his elusive totality. Fresh and engaging I truly enjoyed reading it . . . Excellent . . . Laura Tunbridge upends the two-centuries-old image of Beethoven as a Promethean Titan heroically composing works of genius on his isolated rock of suffering. She convincingly argues that Beethoven's current iconic status must be understood within the context of his financial dealings and lifetime of often affable, sometimes acerbic, vibrant interchanges with family members, other composers, patrons, friends, musicians, singers, publishers, producers, and makers of musical instruments. Her detailed musical analyses of familiar as well as now rarely-performed works of Beethoven converse with one another as well as with other music of the era and with quotidian life in Vienna. This well researched and accessible book is a must read for all who seek to know more about the flesh and blood tangible Beethoven and the checkered history of his reception than about the Beethoven of unfathomable mythic immensity Mark that young man, he will make a name for himself in the world Tunbridge has come up with the seemingly impossible: a new way of approaching Beethoven's life and music . . . and in every chapter a superb - and accessible to non-musicians - analysis of the music . . . profoundly original and hugely readable Remarkable . . . she captures the essence of his genius and character. I'll always want to keep it in easy reach