About the Book
The life and music of Beethoven still fascinate classical music lovers, new and old. His many symphonies, sonatas, concertos, string quartets, and his one opera enchant audiences, challenge performers, engage students, and support scholars in their work. In Experiencing Beethoven, music historian Geoffrey Block explores in layman’s terms a highly representative body of about two dozen Beethoven instrumental and vocal works, offering listeners who know him well, or are just discovering him, an opportunity to grasp the breadth and depth of his musical genius.
Designed for those unversed in musical terminology or theory, Experiencing Beethoven places the composer’s works within the evolving context of his personal and professional life and social and cultural milieu. Block sheds light on the public and private audiences of Beethoven’s music, from the concerts for the composer’s own financial benefit to the debut of the “Eroica” Symphony at the palace of Prince Lobkowitz to the historic public premiere of his Ninth Symphony.
Experiencing Beethoven paints a portrait of the composer’s youth in Bonn, his early triumphs and artistic maturation in Vienna, and—despite the challenges his music posed to his contemporaries— the recognition he received during his lifetime as the most acclaimed composer of the era. Block conveys the range and scope of Beethoven’s achievement, from his heroic style to his lyricism, grappling throughout with the composer’s power to communicate his idealistic musical vision to listeners in both his time and ours. Finally, Experiencing Beethoven explores why Beethoven’s music continues to enjoy an unwavering appeal in an age saturated with a range of musical styles.
Table of Contents:
1. “The Spirit of Mozart” (1770-1792)
2. “From the Hands of Haydn” (1792-1801)
3. The “Heroic” Style (1802-1806)
4. Fidelio: Beethoven’s One and Only Opera (1805-06 and 1814)
5. Symphonic Alternatives to the Heroic Style (1807-1814)
6. Beethoven and Song
7. The Late Piano Music (1816-1824)
8. Daiku: The Big Ninth
9. The String Quartet in C# Minor, Op. 131
Glossary
Selected Reading
Selected Listening
About the Author :
Geoffrey Block is distinguished professor of music history at the University of Puget Sound. He is the author of Ives: “Concord” Sonata (1996), Enchanted Evenings: The Broadway Musical from “Show Boat” to Sondheim and Lloyd Webber (1997; 2nd ed. 2009), and Richard Rodgers (2003), a co-editor and contributor to Charles Ives and the Classical Tradition (1996), the editor of The Richard Rodgers Reader (2002), and the editor of two series of books on the American musical.
Review :
Block’s new entry in the series discusses perhaps the most iconic composer in the Western tradition. The literature on Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) is overwhelming, from biography to musical analysis, including books on single works. The author presents analysis of both familiar works (seven of the nine symphonies, seven of the piano sonatas, three string quartets, and two piano concertos), as well as lesser-known ones such as the Joseph Cantata, the Choral Fantasy, various songs, and Wellington’s Victory. An interesting feature is the integration of descriptions of concert premieres with musical analysis (the first performance of the Choral Fantasy suffered an orchestral breakdown), which is accessible and provocative (the series is avowedly for the nonspecialist) though might have been enhanced with minimal musical examples. The book includes a glossary of musical terms, forms, and tempo descriptions. VERDICT For 'nonspecialist' listeners wishing to dive more deeply into an analysis of Beethoven’s works and classical music generally.
[Experiencing Beethoven: A Listener's Companion] tries to answer the age-old question of why we all keep coming back to Beethoven.... Part of the Listeners Companion Series, Experiencing Beethoven is a guide meant for the average person. You don’t have to know classical music. Block includes a generous glossary to explain musical terms, and often explains concepts in the text before going on.... [F]or real understanding of why Beethoven is still so compelling, you need to dive deep into the notes.
Block presents brilliant, in-depth analyses of several Beethoven works in different genres, including symphonies and piano sonatas, his only opera, his songs, the late piano music and the Op. 131 String Quartet in C-Sharp Minor (admired so deeply by Wagner and Schubert). A detailed analysis of the sketches for that enormous quartet, for example, show Beethoven changing his mind five times about the structure of the work. Block’s book is aimed at both the general reader and the Beethoven fan, and even those in that latter category may well add considerably to their store of knowledge about this titan of music.
Distinguished Professor of Music History Geoffrey Block has written a refreshing guide for listening to Beethoven’s music in the 21st century.... The reader would do well to listen to the music while reading Professor Block’s analyses to gain deeper understanding of certain works like Fidelio, the Ninth Symphony, and the C-Sharp Minor String Quartet, Op. 131. This book rewards both the novice and seasoned listener who want to explore the beloved composer’s genius. The author understands that Beethoven’s music draws steady admiration from audiences almost two centuries later, and seeks to inform the curious listener in the 21st century.
[T]here is much to recommend in this book, chiefly the enthusiasm, discernment, expertise, and deep understanding of Beethoven and his cultural milieu that its author brings to the table, as well his clear, forthright explanations. This book is a fine choice for anyone looking for an introductory guide to Beethoven’s music; it would serve equally well for an undergraduate course for non-majors.
The most recent addition to Rowman & Littlefield's The Listener's Companion series, this guide is geared toward concert goers and others who wish to deepen their listening experiences of Beethoven's works.... Block covers a wider spectrum of representative works across genres, organized roughly chronologically.... Block includes a chapter on Beethoven's songs and discusses several works that are less likely to be heard in concert... He weaves together the descriptions of these selected works with narratives on Beethoven's life, musical influences, performance experiences, and other biographical details, as well as including notes on reception history. His basic descriptions of style and structure do not require knowledge of music theory, and the appendices include a glossary of musical terms, description of musical forms, and helpful descriptions of tempos (with an index of the works discussed that implement them). Also includes a select bibliography and discography, and index.
Block conducts a tour through some lesser-known compositions alongside the great Beethoven masterworks, and in so doing, helps readers to hear more in the music than they did before. A timeline, musical glossary, bibliography, discography and index add to the book’s accessibility, where we can discover more about a specific time period or greater detail regarding particular compositions.
