Beethoven

A Life in Nine Pieces

By: Laura Tunbridge

Narrated by: Laura Tunbridge

A major new biography published for the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth, offering a fresh, human portrayal.

The iconic image of Beethoven is of him as a lone genius: hair wild, fists clenched, and brow furrowed. Beethoven may well have shaped the music of the future, but he was also a product of his time, influenced by the people, politics, and culture around him. Oxford scholar Laura Tunbridge offers an alternative history of Beethoven's career, placing his music in contexts that shed light on why particular pieces are valued more than others, and what this tells us about his larger-than-life reputation.

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. We discover, along the way, Beethoven's unusual marketing strategies, his ambitious concert programming, and how specific performers and instruments influenced his works. This book offers new ways to understand Beethoven and why his music continues to be valued today.

©2020 Laura Turnbridge (P)2020 Tantor

Well done

This is a very nice alternative to the traditional biography. It introduced me to some of the more obscure works of an artist I thought I knew well.

What a great concept for a book on Beethoven!

Using Beethoven’s compositions over the span of his working life was a very refreshing approach. Also, I love the author‘s voice: she is very pleasant to listen to. I wish she could narrate several other books for me. Overall fantastic work!

Laura Turnbridge is an excellent author & narrator

I just finished "Beethoven: A Life in Nine Pieces" on audible and have started reading the author's book on Schumann's late style. The concept for this book was extremely well-thought-out. Biographies of musicians tend to fall into two camps: those that focus more on analyzing the works of the artists, and those that focus more on biographical details. Laura is able to weave both together. The man emerges in the context of his works, and she manages to provide insights into Vienna of his day as well. I learned about Viennese coffee culture at the time, the effect of the Napoleonic wars on the city and its cultural institutions, and so forth. Beethoven's relationship with society at large as well as his friendships and family relations are woven into the tapestry of the narrative. Instead of opting for a typical chronological biography, Laura builds the biography around the works discussed. The chapter on the "Eroica" and "Fidelio" were two of my favorites. Warmly recommended. This was a pleasure to listen to: not overly long and the author is an excellent narrator.

Engaging, interesting, nice format

I really liked the nine chapter format with each chapter revolving around a particular piece(s) of Beethoven’s music. This prompted me to listen to more Beethoven than I had before. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I hope to find other biographies of classical musicians that use the same format. Highly recommended!