Beethoven

This title is printed to order. This book may have been self-published. If so, we cannot guarantee the quality of the content. In the main most books will have gone through the editing process however some may not. We therefore suggest that you be aware of this before ordering this book. If in doubt check either the author or publisher’s details as we are unable to accept any returns unless they are faulty. Please contact us if you have any questions.

'[An] extraordinary and exciting book' - John Simpson

Beethoven's string quartets have long been held up as the pinnacle of chamber music: their fertility, complexity, depth and range mark them out as amongst the greatest of all musical creations. Yet they are also elusive, slippery works of art.

In his new book, David Vernon - author of Disturbing the Universe: Wagner's Musikdrama and Beauty and Sadness: Mahler's 11 Symphonies - explores these exquisite and challenging pieces, probing their integrity and individuality while also placing the quartets within the context of Beethoven's life and other music, especially his symphonies and piano sonatas.

A chapter is devoted to each work, with an in-depth essay followed by detailed movement-by-movement guides, revealing where they came from, how they are put together - and why they remain so relevant and celebrated today.

WITH AN AFTERWORD BY JOHN SIMPSON