Beethoven, A Life

"This biography of a musician, written by a musician, becomes music itself. It literally resonates. And it is enjoyable and moving to listen to—as informative as it is entertaining. "—Gerhard Stadelmaier, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung "In a pleasantly analytical way, Caeyers questions many of the clichés of the commercial literature on Beethoven. "—Wolfram Goertz, Die Zeit "An extremely readable study, composed in the present for the present. It is amazing how in a much-grazed field like Beethoven, a biography can come along and bring completely new insights into its topic through clarity, lack of prejudice, and rigor. "—Kai Luehrs-Kaiser, Die Welt "Jan Caeyers has written a major book on Beethoven. that doesn't require any specialist historical or musical knowledge. In addition, the author, a highly regarded performer of Beethoven, is able to create a particular closeness with his subject. He achieves a vibrant portrait of the composer, his contemporaries, and society in provincial Bonn and the metropolis of Vienna. "—Tobias Schwartz, Märkische Allgemeine "With both profound knowledge and a lively narrative, Caeyers has achieved a comprehensive biography that captivates emotionally. "—A. Gerth, Operapoint "Caeyers’s command of the vast scholarship on this iconic composer is impressive. "-Stephen Hinton, Stanford University