Beethoven
The Universal Composer
“Deft, deeply satisfying. . . . This is not just criticism but poetry in itself, with the additional—and inestimable—merit of being true.”—Tim Page, Washington Post
“Power is the morality of outstanding men, and it is my morality too,” said Ludwig van Beethwoven. He lived up to his own words, making himself famous by sheer force of character and imagination. Beethoven is an elegant summary of all the latest scholarship, a fresh and detailed—and, above all, accessible—discussion of the power of Beethoven’s music.
In this work of inspired historical recreation, distinguished Presidential biographer Edmund Morris brings to life a story of genius in action, of a mind so original and so constant in its rapid development, that Beethoven stands alone in greatness above all of his peers.
“[Morris] traces Beethoven’s life in a volume whose small size belies its wealth of musical and psychological insight. . . . With an eloquence born of love, the biographer leads the reader into that realm—the most mysterious in all of music.” —New York Observer
“An astute introduction to the life of music’s most Promethean composer, an embodied storm, a human cymbal crash.” —Kirkus Reviews