Beethoven (Master Musicians Series)

by Barry Cooper (Author)

• New

  Illustrated
  2008

  $27.72

  Originally published as the centenary celebration volume in the Master Musicians series, Barry Cooper's Beethoven incorporates international research on many aspects of the composer's life and work and presents these in a truly integrated narrative. His chronological approach enables each work to be seen against the musical and biographical background from which it emerged. The resulting highly readable confluence of life and work is made possible - and indeed required - by the fact that composition was Beethoven's central preoccupation for most of his life, and Cooper presents a clear picture of his day-to-day compositional activity. This volume concentrates on Beethoven's artistic achievements both by examining the origins of his works and by expert commentary on some of their most striking and original features. It also reexamines virtually all the evidence - from fictitious anecdotes right down to the translations of individual German words - to avoid recycling old errors. Cooper makes impressive use of Beethoven's sketch books and conversation books in a well-formulated effort to settle controversial matters - particularly those surrounding Anton Schindler, close associate of the composer during the 1820s and infamous subject of current discussion in Beethoven studies. A unique edition of Beethoven's correspondence rounds out this presentation of one of history's greatest composers. Offering a wealth of fresh conclusions and intertwining life and work in illuminating ways, Beethoven is an essential reference for students, scholars, and everyone interested in classical music.

• Used

  Hardcover
  2000

  $3.25

  This major new study of Beethoven and his music is written as a single, continuous narrative, using a strictly chronological approach that enables each work to be seen against the musical and biographical background from which it emerged. The result is a much closer integration of life and works than is often achieved. The approach works particularly well for Beethoven for two reasons. Firstly, composition was his central preoccupation for most of his life: 'I live entirely in my music', he once wrote. Secondly, recent study of his large numbers of musical sketches has enabled a much clearer picture of his everyday compositional activity than was previously possible, leading to many new insights into the interaction between his life and music. The volume concentrates on Beethoven's artistic achievements both by examining the origins of his works and by commentary on some of their most striking and original features. Statements in earlier biographies have been treated with caution, and have been accepted only where they are supported by sound evidence. Everything-even down to the translations of individual German words-has been reassessed as far as is feasible, in an effort to avoid recycling old errors. Many well-known but fictitious anecdotes have thereby been eliminated, while conversely numerous details discovered in recent years have been incorporated into a general Beethoven biography for the first time-notably information derived from sketch studies and from a new edition for correspondence. This volume reaches many fresh conclusions that should be of interest to both specialists and the general musical public.