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  • Beethoven

  • A Life in Nine Pieces
  • Written by: Laura Tunbridge
  • Narrated by: Laura Tunbridge
  • Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (3 ratings)

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Beethoven

Written by: Laura Tunbridge
Narrated by: Laura Tunbridge
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Publisher's Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

Featuring integrated music and full orchestra recordings.

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. It's a winning combination of rich biographical detail, insight into the music and surprising new angles, all of which can transform how you listen to his works. We discover, for example, Beethoven's oddly modern talent for self-promotion, how he was influenced by factors from European wars to instrument building and how he was heard by contemporaries.

This tour de force - published for the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth - provides a fresh overview and a wealth of material that has never been revealed to the wider public before. It's a compelling, human portrayal of Beethoven and a fascinating journey into one of the world's most amazing creative minds.
©2020 Laura Tunbridge (P)2020 Penguin Audio
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Profile Image for Pierre Gauthier

Quite Bland!

This short book presents Beethoven’s life and its historical and cultural context as well as analyses of some of his music. It is structured around seven major works, presented chronologically. Sadly, many may consider that the information provided is overly detailed and variably pertinent and that the links with the music could be more explicit.

The audio version is simply a reading of the book, disappointingly with no significant musical excerpts. The narrator is the author herself, who shows adequate enunciation but a disconcerting lack of passion.

Overall, though it may enlighten those who already appreciate Beethoven, this work will not increase his appeal to those who initially feel lukewarm towards him.

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