The Life and Works of Beethoven Audiobook By Jeremy Siepmann cover art

The Life and Works of Beethoven

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The Life and Works of Beethoven

By: Jeremy Siepmann
Narrated by: Jeremy Siepmann
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For many people, Beethoven is the greatest composer who ever lived. In this portrait-in-sound, actors' readings combine with his music to reveal a titanic personality, vulnerable and belligerent, comic and tragic, and above all, heroic, as he comes to grips with perhaps the greatest disability a musician can suffer. No man's music is more universal; few men's lives are more inspiring. In every sense but one - his modest height - he was a giant.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2001 Jeremy Siepmann (P)2001 NAXOS AudioBooks Biographies & Memoirs Musician Entertainment & Celebrities Celebrity

Editorial reviews

This superb documentary features an unpretentious, well-written, intelligent narrative; excerpts from the composer's own correspondence and other contemporary documents; and liberal, lengthy quotations of Beethoven's music. Most popular accounts, fiction and nonfiction, of Beethoven's life either sentimentalize or demonize the man. Here, however, we receive the most balanced and humane account of his personality. The author, a noted British musicologist, delivers his own copy with informality and warmth, and five worthy actors handle the excerpts. Best of all, Naxos has chosen music recordings that highlight the tempestuous romanticism that most notably informed Beethoven's groundbreaking works and personal gestalt.

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This is really a wonderfull portrait of one of the greatest composers ever. I always tought of Beethoven's music as being a bit too strong because I only knew the symphony's works, but it was totally fascinating.
A+++ !

AMAZING!!!!!!

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True, this doesn't give an indepth account of Beethoven's life, but the production's lively and entertaining--it reminds me of great radio. The Life and Works of Chopin is another great title.

Enjoyed every minute

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Musical selections wonderful. Overview of his life informative especially for those who know nothing about him.

Good introduction to Beethoven

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The program is called The Life and Works of Beethoven, but it is a bit short on the life and heavy on the works. This would not be bad but the sound of the music is not very good and some of the music is played too long. But over all I did enjoy this program.

more life less music

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Where does The Life and Works of Beethoven rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is really great intention behind this book, but quality of audio in parts of actual music is very low. The story is moderately interesting. There are better books in print about Beethoven, but this definitely one, that you also will enjoy, as a true fan of the composer.
It will be great, if the same book (books about other composers), but with good quality music will appear in future as part of story. We need more such books, but in higher quality.

interesting book, but audio quality of the music..

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