Beethoven: The Man Revealed

It is perhaps more true of Beethoven than any other composer that if you know what is going on in his life, you listen to his music through different ears. Ludwig van Beethoven's life - its dramas, conflicts, loves and losses, his deafness coupled with continuous health problems, his epic struggle with his sister-in-law for sole custody of her son, his nephew - is played out in his music.; Now John Suchet has portrayed the real man behind the music in this compelling biography of a musical genius. He reveals a difficult and complex character, struggling to continue his profession as musician despite increasing deafness, alienating friends with unprovoked outbursts of anger one moment, overwhelming them with excessive kindness and generosity the next, living in a city in almost constant disarray because of war with France.; This is not the god-like immortal portrayed in statues and paintings in heroic pose garlanded with laurel leaves. Beethoven may have been one of the greatest artists who ever lived, but he was still a man who had to live among fellow mortals, eat and drink, fall in love, pay his rent. This is the real Beethoven, and Suchet brings him effortlessly to life.

Table of Contents:
Preface... vi i i; Prologue... x i; Chapter One; The Spaniard; In which a momentous life begins 1; Chapter Two; The Right Teacher; This boy could become 'a second Mozart' 17;Chapter Three; Meeting Mozart; Watch out for that boy 31;Chapter Four; Word Spreads; Young Beethoven as kitchen scullion 45;Chapter Five; Impressing The Viennese; But Haydn feels the wrath of an angry young man 65;Chapter Six; My Poor Hearing Haunts Me; But there is 'a dear charming girl who loves me' 79;Chapter Seven; Only My Art Held Me Back; In which Beethoven considers suicide 91;Chapter Eight; Egyptian Hieroglyphics; Napoleon is no more than 'a common tyrant' 101;Chapter Nine; O, Beloved J!; Musical failure, but will Beethoven succeed in love? 115; Chapter Ten; A Deeply Immoral Woman; Beethoven holds the most important concert of his life, and is offered a job 127; Chapter Eleven; Under Cannon Fire; In which Beethoven once again tries his luck at love 141; Chapter Twelve; Immortal Beloved; 'My angel, my all, my very self' 151; Chapter Thirteen; An Utterly Untamed Personality; Beethoven turns again to his 'poor shipwrecked opera' 161; Chapter Fourteen; Into The Witness Box; How the single letter 'o' ruined Beethoven's life 175; Chapter Fifteen; A Musical Gift From London; How Rossini found Beethoven 'disorderly and dirty' 187; Chapter Sixteen; 'I Want To Be A Soldier'; In which Beethoven gets drunk with friends 203; Chapter Seventeen; Two Pistols And Gunpowder; An invitation to get away from it all 217; Chapter Eighteen; Frightening The Oxen; 'The greatest composer of the century,and you treated him like a servant!' 229; Chapter Nineteen; Terminally Ill; 'His face was damp, he spat blood' 241Chapter Twenty; The Last Master; 'He was an artist, but a man as well' 253; Postscript ... 262; Index... 266

About the Author :
John Suchet presents Classic FM's flagship morning programme, from 9am every weekday. His informative style of presentation, coupled with a deep knowledge of classical music, has won a wide spectrum of new listeners to the station. Before turning to classical music, John was one of the UK's best-known television journalists. As a reporter for ITN he covered world events, including the Iran revolution, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Philippines revolution. He then became a newscaster, regularly presenting ITN's flagship News at Ten, as well as all other bulletins, over a period of nearly twenty years.; John has been honoured for both roles. In 1986 he was voted Television Journalist of the Year, in 1996 Television Newscaster of the Year, and in 2008 the Royal Television Society awarded him its highest accolade, a Lifetime Achievement Award. John has been given an honorary degree by his old university, the University of Dundee, and in 2001 the Royal Academy of Music awarded him an Honorary Fellowship in recognition of his work on Beethoven, having written six books on the composer, including the bestselling Beethoven: The Man Revealed.

Review :
'I have loved and performed Beethoven since I was very young and have read a good deal about the life and times of this giant among composers, but John Suchet's infectious enthusiasm and fascination, probing the details behind every step of his life, and turning sensitive sleuth when the facts are less clear, opens new vistas and makes for a gripping and thought-provoking read.' -- Howard Shelley, Pianist and Conductor; 'John Suchet offers us a fascinating and touchingly human insight into a great figure who has consumed him for decades. By exercising a genuine authority in identifying how Beethoven, the man, manifests himself in our appreciation of the music, Suchet brings an incisive freshness to an extraordinary life. The results in his 'Beethovenia' are always rigorously researched and accompanied by a child-like passion to communicate the composer's true essence.' -- Jonathan Freeman-Attwood, Principal of the Royal Academy of Music; 'Beethoven's music continues to form one of the cornerstones of the concert repertoire some 200 years after it was written, and its sheer ingenuity and inventiveness never cease to amaze the perceptive listener. Knowing the context in which it was written can aid our understanding of the music, and every biography of Beethoven's unusual life has something new to say. Although some aspects of his life, such as his deafness, and his great love for his only nephew, are well known, this book also includes many details that are less familiar. John Suchet writes with infectious enthusiasm, and his avoidance of technical detail makes this a biography that can be read and understood by anyone interested in the composer.' -- Professor Barry Cooper, University of Manchester; 'John Suchet's wonderfully readable biography of Beethoven will give a fresh insight for many people into the happenings behind the music. Beautifully illustrated, it will appeal to the music lover who wants to enhance the experience of listening to some of the greatest music ever written.' --Angela Hewitt, Pianist