Beethoven by Robin May

Probably the most widely admired composer in the history of European art, Beethoven has been called the Shakespeare of music. This book tells the story of his life and works, beginning with his childhood and youth in Bonn, his brief studies under Mozart and Haydn, and his early indications of genius as a virtuoso pianist with an astonishing gift or improvisation. The second chapter begins with Beethoven's move in 1792 to Vienna, the musical capital of Europe, where in his first public appearance he gave the premiere of his second piano concerto. The third chapter covers the first two decades of the 19th century, when his astonishing output of masterworks was sustained in the face of crippling deafness. During the last seven years of his life Beethoven enjoyed fame at home and abroad and, in a final burst of creativity, produced some of his greatest works.

The concluding chapter introduces outstanding present-day interpretations of a selection of his works, including piano sonatas, trios and quartets, concertos, symphonies, the opera Fidelio and the Missa Solemnis.