Maynard Solomon is that rarest of writers on classical music: a well-trained expert who is also gutsy and humane, and who knows about life. He had the courage to write in recent years about Franz Schubert's homosexuality, which, judging by the size of the polemic that ensued, some academics were still not ready to hear about. But for many readers, Solomon's masterpiece is still his 1977 biography of Beethoven, offered here in a revised second edition that is a must-read for anyone interested in classical music, let alone "The Big Deaf One," as Jean Cocteau referred to the composer. Artfully blending history, psychology, sociology, and musicology in just the right measures, Solomon has taken the opportunity in his revision to focus more on certain themes, like Beethoven and Freemasonry; to discount evidence now seen as suspect, including the forgeries of the composer's friend Schindler; and to present new finds such as recently discovered documentary evidence. The result stands with Thayer's biography and Tovey's analyses as the classics on Beethoven, along with other fascinating books like the Cambridge Music Handbook on Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. A triumph--bravo, Professor Solomon! --Benjamin Ivry


From Library Journal
For 20 years, Solomon's Beethoven has served scholars and lay readers as one of the most enlightening studies of the life and works of this fascinating composer. Justly praised for his thoroughness, honesty, and insight in presenting the many facets of a complex artist, Solomon approaches his subject from myriad different angles?historical, psychological, sociological, and aesthetic?to treat the reader to a view of Beethoven, his music, and his era that answers long-standing questions and reveals new ways of considering the composer, his works, and his motivation. In this revision, Solomon retains all the freshness of the first edition while incorporating the enormous amount of research published on Beethoven since the initial 1977 printing. Solomon's book should continue to engage readers for the next several decades. Highly recommended for public and academic libraries.?Timothy J. McGee, Univ. of TorontoCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


The Los Angeles Times Sunday Book Review, Ted Libby
...Beethoven is happy news for the reader interested in becoming better acquainted with the composer and his music.... an indispensable volume for the aficionado.


Book Description
Softcover edition of this national bestseller! Hailed as a masterpiece for its original interpretations of Beethoven's life and music. This edition takes into account the latest information and literature. Includes a 30-page bibliographical essay, numerous illustrations and a full-color pictorial biography of the composer.


From the Publisher
This book contains the following features: A 30-page Bibliographical Essay; 55 illustrations; Notes, Index.


About the Author
Maynard Solomon is a leading authority on Beethoven, winner of the Otto Kinkeldey Award for "Beethoven Essays" and the author of Mozart: A Life.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Maynard Solomon's Beethoven, first published in 1977, was instantly hailed as a major reinterpretation of the life, personality, and works of the enigmatic genius. Translated into seven languages, it is regarded by music lovers and scholars alike as the standard modern biography of Beethoven. Now, a generation later, the book has been thoroughly revised, updated, and expanded by the author to incorporate new materials and the findings of later research.

Solomon divides Beethoven's life and works into four periods. In part one, Bonn, we witness Beethoven's troubled relationships with his parents, his withdrawal into fantasy, and his emergence as an exemplary young court musician and virtuoso. Vienna: Early Years describes his move to Vienna in late 1792, his conflicts with teachers and patrons, his struggle for independence and recognition, and his efforts to master the heritage of Haydn and Mozart. In The Heroic Period, Solomon delves into the psychological, stylistic, and ideological crises that accompanied the formation of Beethoven's "heroic" style, offering probing analyses of the composer's deafness, romantic longings, and political outlook, and of his reshaping of the Classical tradition. The Final Phase depicts the collapse of Beethoven's marriage plans, the dissolution of his "heroic" style, and his turbulent attempt to seize the guardianship of his nephew, Karl. Solomon movingly traces the slow process by which Beethoven reconstructed his life and ultimately arrived at a new mode of self-understanding.

Rigorously meticulous and objective, Solomon's Beethoven is also renowned for its highly original interpretations of Beethoven's personality, his inner conflicts, patronage affiliations, intellectual and religious tenets, and the dynamics of his family constellation, especially those involving the cluster of fantasies that center on issues of birth, lineage, and ancestry. Through these we meet an infinitely more complex and human Beethoven than had been known from earlier biographies. And an extended chapter presents the evidence for Solomon's compelling solution to the riddle of Beethoven's "Immortal Beloved."

This edition includes a comprehensive bibliographical essay, numerous illustrations, and a full-color "Pictorial Biography" section that poignantly traces Beethoven's image from adolescence to death bed.

FROM THE CRITICS

Robert S. Winter

Brilliant and heartfelt. -- Notes

NY Times Book Review