Simply Beethoven
Written by Leon Plantinga
Narrated by Angus Freathy
()
About this audiobook
Born in Bonn, Germany, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) showed musical talent from an early age and was first taught by his musician father, Johann, an alcoholic who often beat his son. At the age of 21, Beethoven moved to Vienna, where he studied with composer Joseph Haydn and quickly became renowned as a pianist and conductor, as well as a composer. He continued to perform until 1811 when increasing deafness made it impossible, but until his death in 1827, he continued to create timeless works, including such masterpieces as the Ninth Symphony and the late string quartets. Plagued by illness and repeatedly thwarted in love, Beethoven rarely achieved personal happiness; yet he transcended the many setbacks and disappointments in his life to produce some of the greatest music ever written, which has come to be identified with the indomitableness of the human spirit.
In Simply Beethoven, Professor Leon Plantinga offers the lay reader a fascinating account of Beethoven’s life and music in its singular historical context, a time that saw the upheaval of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic conquests, as well as the rise of the European middle class. It was in this milieu that Beethoven composed the groundbreaking, highly individual works that changed the course of music and have continued to inspire and delight listeners for more than two centuries.
For anyone who is interested in knowing more about the extraordinary music that has become an integral part of Western culture, as well as the troubled genius who created it, Simply Beethoven is a perfect introduction to the man and his work.
Related to Simply Beethoven
Titles in the series (17)
Simply Faulkner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Simply Descartes Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Simply Eliot Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Simply Chopin Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSimply Nietzsche Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Simply Riemann Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Simply Beckett Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSimply Stravinsky Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Simply Hegel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Simply Chekhov Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSimply Beethoven Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSimply Proust Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Simply Schrödinger Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Simply Chekhov Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Simply Chomsky Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Simply Einstein Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Simply Keynes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related audiobooks
Simply Chopin Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSimply Stravinsky Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Life and Works of Beethoven Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beethoven in Words and Music Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Johann Sebastian Bach Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ludwig van Beethoven Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5J.S.Bach in Words and Music Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Discover Music of the Romantic Era Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beethoven Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Masterpieces of Western Music Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Life of Mozart Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Haydn: His Life and Works Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dvorak in Words and Music Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChopin Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The History of Opera Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fidelio Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mozart and Beethoven: The Amazing Austrian and German Classical Composers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Franz Schubert Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beethoven: The Relentless Revolutionary Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bach's Musical Universe: The Composer and His Work Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Composers' Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Discover Music of the Baroque Era Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5More Famous Composers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Life and Works of Liszt Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The History of Classical Music Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Chasing Chopin: A Musical Journey Across Three Centuries, Four Countries, and a Half-Dozen Revolutions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Simply Chekhov Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLife of Chopin Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5I, Beethoven: Autobiography of Ludwig van Beethoven Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLudwig von Beethoven: Biography, Facts, Quotes and Symphonies Described Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Artists and Musicians For You
The Woman in Me Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Leonardo da Vinci Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Storyteller: Expanded: ...Because There's More to the Story Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary: Greenlights: by Matthew McConaughey: Key Takeaways, Summary & Analysis Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I Would Leave Me If I Could.: A Collection of Poetry Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Scar Tissue Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Faith, Hope and Carnage Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5My Effin' Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Me: Elton John Official Autobiography Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin): A Memoir Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Marathon Don't Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Gold Dust Woman: The Biography of Stevie Nicks Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All the Way Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Van Gogh: The Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5C.S. Lewis: A Biography of Friendship Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Killing the Legends: The Lethal Danger of Celebrity Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Where Are Your Boys Tonight?: The Oral History of Emo's Mainstream Explosion 1999-2008 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Chronicles: Volume One Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Perfect Union of Contrary Things Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Chita: A Memoir Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5More Myself: A Journey Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Adversity for Sale: Ya Gotta Believe Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dolly Parton: The Life of a Legendary American Singer, Actor, and Businesswoman Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Mercury and Me Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Like a River: Finding the Faith and Strength to Move Forward after Loss and Heartache Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for Simply Beethoven
0 ratings0 reviews