Experiencing Beethoven

October 15, 2016

Block's (music history, Univ. of Puget Sound, WA; Charles Ives and the Classical Tradition) new entry in the series discusses perhaps the most iconic composer in the Western tradition. The literature on Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) is overwhelming, from biography to musical analysis, including books on single works (such as Robin Stowell's Beethoven: Violin Concerto). The author presents analysis of both familiar works (seven of the nine symphonies, seven of the piano sonatas, three string quartets, and two piano concertos), as well as lesser-known ones such as the Joseph Cantata, the Choral Fantasy, various songs, and Wellington's Victory. An interesting feature is the integration of descriptions of concert premieres with musical analysis (the first performance of the Choral Fantasy suffered an orchestral breakdown), which is accessible and provocative (the series is avowedly for the nonspecialist) though might have been enhanced with minimal musical examples. The book includes a glossary of musical terms, forms, and tempo descriptions. VERDICT For "nonspecialist" listeners wishing to dive more deeply into an analysis of Beethoven's works and classical music generally. For the composer's life, the best recent biography is Jan Swafford's Beethoven.--Bruce R. Schueneman, Texas A&M Univ. Lib., Kingsville

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