* More than 17,000 copies sold in hardback.; * Now available in paperback, this superb biography has a strong focus on Beethoven's early life, often ignored by other biographers.; * Based on extensive research, including sources never previously published in English.; * Colour plate section brings the history to life.
Contents; Preface ... xi; Prologue ... xiv; 1. The Spaniard ... 1; 2. The Right Teacher ... 23; 3. Meeting Mozart ... 42; 4. Word Spreads ... 61; 5. Impressing the Viennese ... 88; 6. My Poor Hearing Haunts Me ... 105; 7. Only My Art Held Me Back ... 121; 8. Egyptian Hieroglyphics ... 134; 9. O, Beloved J! ... 151; 10. A Deeply Immoral Woman ... 168; 11. Under Cannon Fire ... 188; 12. Immortal Beloved ... 202; 13. An Utterly Untamed Personality ... 216; 14. Into the Witness Box ... 235; 15. A Musical Gift from London ... 252; 16. 'I Want to Be a Soldier' ... 273; 17. Two Pistols and Gunpowder ... 291; 18. Frightening the Oxen ... 307; 19. Terminally Ill ... 323; 20. The Last Master ... 339; Postscript ... 346; Acknowledgements ... 351; About Classic FM ... 353; Index ... 355; About the Author ... 364
John Suchet OBE is a bestselling author, journalist, radio and TV presenter. He was the voice of morning radio on Classic FM for almost a decade and before that, he was one of the UK's best-known television journalists and newscasters, regularly presenting ITN's flagship News at Ten for nearly 20 years. A recognised authority on Beethoven, he is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Beethoven: The Man Revealed (2020), as well as biographies of Mozart, Strauss, Verdi and Tchaikovsky.
"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; "I found myself reading and enjoying it almost as a story rather than a factual account. The lives and relationships of the Strauss family were certainly fascinating ... John Suchet skilfully mixes the family dramas with informative details of history and place and no great knowledge of music is needed to enjoy this book" -- Nudge-Book.com; "Suchet ... very knowledgeable music presenter on Classic FM radio station, tells the story clearly, logically and with entertaining language" -- Army Rumour Service
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