Beethoven: The Man Revealed

by John Suchet

It is perhaps more true of Beethoven than any other composer that if you know what is going on in his life, you listen to his music through different ears. Ludwig van Beethoven's life - its dramas, conflicts, loves and losses, his deafness coupled with continuous health problems, his epic struggle with his sister-in-law for sole custody of her son, his nephew - is played out in his music.
Now John Suchet has portrayed the real man behind the music in this compelling biography of a musical genius. He reveals a difficult and complex character, struggling to continue his profession as musician despite increasing deafness, alienating friends with unprovoked outbursts of anger one moment, overwhelming them with excessive kindness and generosity the next, living in a city in almost constant disarray because of war with France.
This is not the god-like immortal portrayed in statues and paintings in heroic pose garlanded with laurel leaves. Beethoven may have been one of the greatest artists who ever lived, but he was still a man who had to live among fellow mortals, eat and drink, fall in love, pay his rent. This is the real Beethoven, and Suchet brings him effortlessly to life.

'I have loved and performed Beethoven since I was very young and have read a good deal about the life and times of this giant among composers, but John Suchet's infectious enthusiasm and fascination, probing the details behind every step of his life, and turning sensitive sleuth when the facts are less clear, opens new vistas and makes for a gripping and thought-provoking read.' -- Howard Shelley, Pianist and Conductor

'John Suchet offers us a fascinating and touchingly human insight into a great figure who has consumed him for decades. By exercising a genuine authority in identifying how Beethoven, the man, manifests himself in our appreciation of the music, Suchet brings an incisive freshness to an extraordinary life. The results in his 'Beethovenia' are always rigorously researched and accompanied by a child-like passion to communicate the composer's true essence.' -- Jonathan Freeman-Attwood, Principal of the Royal Academy of Music

'Beethoven's music continues to form one of the cornerstones of the concert repertoire some 200 years after it was written, and its sheer ingenuity and inventiveness never cease to amaze the perceptive listener. Knowing the context in which it was written can aid our understanding of the music, and every biography of Beethoven's unusual life has something new to say. Although some aspects of his life, such as his deafness, and his great love for his only nephew, are well known, this book also includes many details that are less familiar. John Suchet writes with infectious enthusiasm, and his avoidance of technical detail makes this a biography that can be read and understood by anyone interested in the composer.' -- Professor Barry Cooper, University of Manchester

'John Suchet's wonderfully readable biography of Beethoven will give a fresh insight for many people into the happenings behind the music. Beautifully illustrated, it will appeal to the music lover who wants to enhance the experience of listening to some of the greatest music ever written.' --Angela Hewitt, Pianist

Genres: Biography, Music, Nonfiction, History, Biography Memoir, Classical Music, Germany

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2012

About the author

John Suchet presents Classic FM's flagship morning programme. His informative style of presentation, coupled with a deep knowledge of classical music, has won a wide spectrum of new listeners to the station. Before turning to classical music, John was one of the UK's best known television newscasters, regularly presenting ITN's flagship News at Ten, as well as all other bulletins, over a period of nearly 20 years. John has been honoured for both roles. He is the author of several bestselling composer biographies, including Beethoven: The Man Revealed.

Reviews

[Το Άθχημο γατί του θενιόρ Γκουαναμίρου · Rating 5 out of 5]

"This was the decade in which the Enlightenment was sweeping Europe, questioning the divine order of things, the God-given right of rulers to rule—ideals and philosophies that were to come to such a terrifying climax in France, in just a few years time."

An eccentric man, Beethoven, with extremely problematic demeanour, difficult in his collaborations, selfish and stubborn to the point of exhaustion - Suchet apparently does not make a hagiography and uses several of the available sources, and at some point his imagination to convey some facts - which, although I confess I did not particularly like - I must admit that with this technique he was able to give more vividness to his text.

Beethoven lived an extremely creative and very tortured life. His musical heritage is fundamental, however, this book focuses mainly on the man behind the musical masterpieces, and references to his major works are pretty much abbreviated.

O Beethoven έζησε μια εξαιρετικά δημιουργική και συνάμα πολύ βασανισμένη ζωή. Η μουσική κληρονομιά του είναι θεμελιώδης, ωστόσο αυτό το βιβλίο εστιάζει κυρίως στον άνθρωπο πίσω από τα μουσικά αριστουργήματα και οι αναφορές στα κυριότερα έργα του είναι σχεδόν συντομογραφικές.

Ένας άνθρωπος εκκεντρικός, ο Beethoven, με εξαιρετικά προβληματική συμπεριφορά, δύσκολος στις συνεργασίες του, εγωιστής και μονομανής, ανυπόφορος και επίμονος σε σημείο εξουθένωσης - ο Suchet προφανώς δεν κάνει αγιογραφία. Χρησιμοποιεί αρκετές από τις διαθέσιμες πηγές και σε κάποια σημεία συμπληρώνει ή αναπαριστά με την φαντασία του κάποια γεγονότα - το οποίο αν και ομολογώ πως δεν μου άρεσε ιδιαίτερα - οφείλω να παραδεχτώ πως με αυτήν την τεχνική κατάφερε να δώσει περισσότερη ζωντάνια και παραστατικότητα στο κείμενό του.

Ωστόσο αυτή η μέθοδος δίνει περισσότερο χώρο για όλα όσα ο πιστεύει ή υποθέτει ή ερμηνεύει ο βιογράφος, σύμφωνα με τις νοοτροπίες και τις προσλαμβάνουσες της δικής μας εποχής, και απομακρύνεται από τον καθαυτό πυρήνα των γεγονότων όπως εκείνα εξελίχθηκαν ή διαμορφώθηκαν διακόσια και πλέον χρόνια πριν. Σε μια κοινωνία όπου είχε διαφορετικές δομές, ήθη, νοοτροπίες, αισθητική, ανάγκες και προτεραιότητες από τη σύγχρονη.

Τελικά αυτό το βιβλίο με έκανε να θέλω να ακούσω περισσότερο Beethoven, και να διαβάζω περισσότερα για τον Beethoven, γι αυτό κατέληξα πως μελλοντικώς θα διαβάσω το Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph του Jan Swafford, το οποίο φαίνεται πως είναι πληρέστερο και αποφεύγει τις εικασίες που μπορεί να οδηγήσουν σε άσκοπες παρερμηνείες.

Ωστόσο ακόμα και με αυτά τα μειονεκτήματα, ο Suchet γράφει ένα εξαιρετικά ευχάριστο και ευκολοδιάβαστο βιβλίο που ξετυλίγεται σαν μυθιστόρημα και φωτίζει κάποια από τα μεγάλα μυστήρια που συνδέονται με αυτόν τον σπουδαιότατο συνθέτη.

Ο Beethoven, που τον αποκαλούσαν περιπαικτικά "Σπανιόλο" (der Spagnol)λόγω της σκούρας επιδερμίδας του, ήταν άσχημος, ατημέλητος, οξύθυμος και πεισματάρης, γιος ενός αλκοολικού και βίαιου πατέρα που του στέρησε τη δυνατότητα να αποκτήσει μια στοιχειώδη παιδεία και τον έσπρωξε από μικρή ηλικία στη μουσική προκειμένου να τον εκμεταλλευτεί οικονομικά. Γεννήθηκε και μεγάλωσε στη Βόννη, σε ένα σπιτικό όπου οι καυγάδες, οι θάνατοι και η φτώχεια ήταν μέρος του καθημερινού προγράμματος. Ωστόσο πολλοί από τους διανοούμενους και τους πολιτικούς παράγοντες της περιοχής, στήριξαν ολόψυχα το νεαρό αγόρι και τον βοήθησαν να σταθεί στα πόδια του και να ξεφύγει από το προβληματικό περιβάλλον.

Κάπως έτσι καταλήγει σε νεαρή ηλικία στη μουσική πρωτεύουσα του κόσμου, τη Βιέννη. Μουσικά διαπρέπει, αλλά η προσωπική του ζωή κατατρύχεται από μια σειρά απορρίψεων που του κοστίζουν συναισθηματικά και σταδιακά τον μεταμορφώνουν στον μισάνθρωπο, στριμμένο, γκρινιάρη και πεισματάρη γέρο παράξενο που διασώζεται μέσα από τις μαρτυρίες των συγκαιρινών του, με μια δόση κουτσομπολιού και υπερβολής προφανώς. Γιατί σαν καλλιτέχνης ο Beethoven πάντα έψαχνε για μια μούσα. Είχε ανάγκη να είναι ερωτευμένος για να δημιουργήσει, για να εμπνευστεί και να συνθέσει. Κάποια από τα πιο ωραία και δημοφιλή έργα του τα έγραψε για τις γυναίκες που ερωτεύτηκε χωρίς ανταπόκριση όπως πχ το Für Elise και το Moonlight Sonata.

Και γιατί τον απέρριπταν οι γυναίκες; Δεν ήταν ωραίος, δεν ήταν πλούσιος, δεν είχε ευγενική καταγωγή (van αντί για von) και από πολύ νέος υπέφερε από την πιο καταστροφική αναπηρία που θα μπορούσε να του τύχει σε σχέση με το επάγγελμά του: Άρχισε από νεαρή ηλικία να χάνει την ακοή του...

Σε ηλικία 31 ετών γράφει ένα κείμενο που σώζεται στις ημέρες μας ως η "Διαθήκη" του, όπου περιγράφει με σπαρακτικό τρόπο τις συνέπειες της αναπηρίας του:

"Όλοι εσείς οι άνθρωποι που λέτε πως είμαι εχθρικός απέναντί σας ή πως είμαι στριμμένος ή πως μισώ την ανθρωπότητα δεν καταλαβαίνετε πόσο με έχετε παρεξηγήσει. Νομίζετε πως καταλαβαίνετε αλλά δεν ξέρετε τη μυστική αιτία που με κάνει να φαίνομαι έτσι. Από την παιδική ηλικία μου η καρδιά κι ο νους μου έκλιναν μόνο προς την τρυφερότητα και την καλή διάθεση. Το ήξερα πως ήμουν προορισμένος για σπουδαία πράγματα.

Αλλά αναλογιστείτε το εξής: Τα τελευταία έξι χρόνια υποφέρω από μια φριχτή πάθηση, που μου την χειροτέρεψαν οι άσχετοι γιατροί κι ενώ ήλπιζα πως με τον χρόνο θα διορθωθεί στο τέλος κατάλαβα πως είχα ξεγελαστεί πως έπρεπε να αντιμετωπίσω την προοπτική μιας ανίατης ασθένειας (ή έστω πως θα χρειαστούν χρόνια για να θεραπευτώ και ίσως αυτό να μη συμβεί ποτέ).

Γεννήθηκα με έναν παθιασμένο και ζωηρό χαρακτήρα αλλά από νεαρή ηλικία υποχρεώθηκα να αποκόψω τους δεσμούς μου με την κοινωνία και την ποικιλομορφία της και να ζήσω απομονωμένος. Κι όποτε επιθυμούσα διακαώς να ξεφύγω από αυτό, ω πόσο σκληρά έπρεπε να παλέψω ενάντια στις τρομερές συνέπειες της χαμένης ακοής μου. Και δεν ήμουν ακόμα σε θέση να μπορώ να πω στους ανθρώπους "Μίλα δυνατότερα, φώναξε, γιατί είμαι κουφός".

Ωστόσο παρά την αναπηρία του συνέχισε να ακούσει τη μουσική μέσα στο μυαλό και την ψυχή του. Και όχι μόνο αυτό. Κάποια στιγμή, σε μεγαλύτερη ηλικία βρήκε τον έρωτα, βρήκε ανταπόκριση σε μια μυστηριώδη γυναίκα, της οποίας η ταυτότητα δεν σώζεται πέρα από μια ερωτική επιστολή που δεν εστάλη ποτέ, η οποία βρέθηκε μετά τον θάνατο του συνθέτη ανάμεσα στα προσωπικά του αντικείμενα. Είναι η "Αθάνατη αγαπημένη" (Unsterbliche Geliebte):

"Να ξέρεις πως σου είμαι πιστός, πως ποτέ καμία άλλη γυναίκα δεν θα έχει την καρδιά μου - ποτέ, ποτέ - Ω θεέ μου, γιατί πρέπει να είμαστε τόσο μακριά από αυτό που αγαπάμε;"

Είναι μια επιστολή, στην οποία προγραμματίζει μια μυστική συνάντηση με την αγαπημένη του, γεμάτη πάθος και απελπισία. Προφανώς επρόκειτο για μια παντρεμένη γυναίκα, γι΄ αυτό φρόντισε να μην διαρρεύσει το όνομά της, για να μην την εκθέσει. Από τότε έχουν γίνει πολλές εικασίες για την ταυτότητά της. Αλλά όποια και να ήταν εκείνη η μούσα, η αληθινή, αιώνια και αθάνατη αγαπημένη του Beethoven, η μόνη πιστή αγάπη που ποτέ δεν τον πρόδωσε ως το τέλος της ζωής του, ήταν η ίδια η Μουσική. Αυτή είναι η θεμελιώδης παρακαταθήκη του, η Αθάνατη κληρονομιά του.

Σαν άνθρωπος υπέφερε συχνά από τις ιδιοτροπίες του, σε σημείο γελοιοποίησης. Επίσης έκανε ένα μοιραίο λάθος, όταν πεισματικά ανέλαβε την κηδεμονία του ανιψιού του, ενώ ήταν ακατάλληλος για τον ρόλο του γονέα. Αλλά ως δημιουργός είναι αξεπέραστος. Οι τελευταίες νότες που έγραψε πριν πεθάνει, είναι ένας μικρός κανόνας επάνω στη φράση "όλοι σφάλλουμε αλλά ο καθένας με διαφορετικό τρόπο": Wir irren allesamt, nur jeder irret anders
Κατέληξα να νιώθω τόσο βαθιά αγάπη και συμπόνια για τον άνθρωπο Beethoven όσο βαθύ θαυμασμό και δέος νιώθω για τη μουσική του.

[happy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Suchet has written a very good look at one of the greatest composers and overall musicians in classical music. The authors stated goal with this biography is to let the reader get to know the man behind all of the great music he produced. I feel he succeeded. The narrative is at times gossipy, speculative, firmly grounded and overall a good look at the great Beethoven’s life. What it is not is technical look at his music. Mr. Suchet mentions many of Beethoven’s compositions, but does not attempt to analyze them or explain just why they are great. He accepts that they are.

In looking at Beethoven’s life, the author starts the preface with his death and funeral. There was such an out pouring of emotion in Vienna that the Army had to be called out to provide security for the funeral procession. The author speculates this is was almost as if Vienna was trying to atone for the way they treated Mozart at his death and funeral.

Mr. Suchet starts the biography proper in detailing the composer’s childhood and ancestry. His grandfather, for whom he was named, was an accomplished musician and the Kapalmeister of Bonn. His father was also a musician, but nowhere near as talented. His father recognized the young Beethoven’s talent and at a young age he had him performing, much like Mozart a generation earlier. According to Mr. Suchet, the younger Beethoven made an impression not just on his family, but he musical society of Bonn in general. He was appointed as one of the organist/keyboard players of the Bonn Cathedral while still in his early teens.

As with most great men, Beethoven’s childhood has holes in the documentation. The author engages in a bit of speculation in describing events of the composer’s boyhood and teenage years. For example, Mr. Suchet speculates on just when Beethoven first met Hayden, who later became is teacher. It is documented that he met Hayden in the summer of 1791 as the great composer was returning from England. The author supposes that it wasn’t their first meeting. He speculates that when Hayden had been in Bonn 18 mths earlier, he must have met the young Beethoven at a gala given for the great composer by the musical elite of Bonn. The reason for this is that Beethoven was such a talent and as member of one the major musical families of Bonn, it begs reason that he wouldn't have been invited to the gala. The author supposes that Beethoven asked his opinion of some of his first compositions. The narrative is full of these typed of guesses and suppositions.

The author does an excellent job of relating just what kind of a man Beethoven was. To say he was prickly is an understatement. For example, the author relates that in spite of being a superb keyboardist, he absolutely refused to demonstrate that talent when asked by various potential and actual patrons. He was also slovenly in dress and deportment. There were restaurants that he frequented that reserved a special table for him away from there other customers so that those other customers would not be offended. He was also very demanding of his musicians. His story is full of players or singers saying the music he had written was unplayable, unsingable or both.

Not only does Mr. Suchet looks at his manners or lack thereof, he tells of his spectacularly unsuccessful love life. The author relates that he was serious enough about three different women to ask them to marry him. He was turned down flat by two of them and the third’s father would not allow such a thing. This leads to the controversy over the “Immortal Beloved” letter that was found in his effects after his death. Mr. Suchet looks all the prospects of who it could be and narrows it down to 2. He has problems with both them, but says they are his best guess. Surprisingly given all the speculation in other matters, he does not give his opinion on which one it was. He does say that, unlike the movie, it was definitely not his sister-in-law. He despised her and the feeling was apparently mutual.

The author does cover the relationship Beethoven had with his brothers. To say the least it was strained. He disapproved of both of their marriage choices and when Karl passed away, he took guardianship of his nephew away for Karl’s widow. He then tried to force his nephew to follow him into the music world despite the fact the nephew had neither the talent nor the interest in such a career.

I found the story of the premiere of his 9th Symphony the most moving in the narrative. By this time he was almost totally deaf, yet he was allowed to “conduct.” In reality the promoters hired another very respected conductor to assist, Maestro Umlauf . He stood slightly behind and to the side of the master and actually conducted. In addition, the soloists refused to sing some of the passages saying they were to difficult. They made a pact among themselves not to sing parts that they couldn’t – Beethoven wouldn’t know, he was deaf. Finally as the final notes sounded and Maestro Umlauf brought his hands down, Beethoven was still “conducting the orchestra he was hearing in his head.” The Contralto, with whom he had been battling all throughout the rehearsal process stepped forward and gently touched Beethoven on the shoulder, “nodded encouragingly at the bewildered face, and turned him to face the cheering audience. At that moment Beethoven knew the gift he had given the world.”

All in all this is a good look at the kind of man Beethoven was. Spiteful, demanding, generous at times, unkempt and most of all so talented, people forgave him his faults. This is a solid 4 star read.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Other Beethoven biographies I’ve considered were laden with score analysis and academic theories. John Suchet, an authority on Beethoven, could have written yet another one. Thankfully, he pared the technical issues to create a book for the average reader. His goal was to help a general reader (and audience) appreciate Beethoven’s music by knowing more about his life and the circumstances that gave rise to his compositions.

While the text is not technical and is reasonably jargon-free, the writer is not talking down. For those issues where there are differences in scholarly opinion, Suchet discusses what is known and not known and gives the source of each viewpoint and its credibility. The best examples of this are Beethoven’s relationship with Goethe and the possible identities of the “immortal beloved”. For the lay person, this method saves flipping back to footnotes, and puts the various possibilities in context.

Another technique Suchet uses to help the reader conceptualize an event is proposed dialog. The best example of this is what might have been said during and after a meeting with Mozart,

There is interesting background on the difficulty of working with Mozart. For artists there were horrible rehearsals and vocalists had difficulty singing parts as written. For patrons, there was the uncertainty of receiving his work, having it named for you (even if promised) and the practicalities of performance. For performance venues, accusations over receipts were constant and with a brother and nephew making arrangements, it was hard to know who was in control. For landlords --- well at least he never stayed anywhere very long. Almost all around him suffered from his unpredictable emotional outbursts, saddest of all the nephew who was obviously abused in ways lost to history.

Now I understand the reality of Beethoven as an eccentric, disheveled, musical genius. John Suchet has met his goal with me because after his book, I will listen to Beethoven with new ears.

[Sareh Booyeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

بالاخره تموم شد.
کلا فکر کنم خوندنِ زندگینامه همین شکلی باشه. اولش به شدت هیجان و ذوق داری بعد به آخراش که میرسی حوصله‌ت سر میره و به زور ادامه میدی. همین اتفاق برای من و این کتاب هم افتاد.

[Ed Clinton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new biography of Ludwig van Beethoven, the greatest musician and composer who ever lived on this earth. What makes this book special is Suchet makes no effort to explain musical theory or analyze musical scores. Instead, he paints a portrait of Beethoven and his friends and his basically sad and difficult life. Everyone knows that Beethoven was deaf, but few can understand how hard it was for a deaf person to deal with the world around him and write music and perform at the same time.

Few people know that Beethoven lived in squalor, often moving twice each year. Few know that many landlords evicted him because the neighbors complained that he was always playing the piano at night. Few know that Beethoven was uncouth, had bad manners and had dreadful social skills. No matter how hard he tried, no woman would marry him or even spend time with him.

Few know that, after his brother died, Beethoven waged a court battle with his sister-in-law for custody of her son. The custody battle was as ugly and awful as any family law family law custody battle waged today. It does not reflect well on Beethoven. It would reflect poorly on anyone today.

The book can best be compared to the many excellent biographies by Christopher Hibbert, who wrote short biographies that somehow gave you a sense of what the person was all about. A beautifully written portrait of Beethoven. At the end of the book, you can't help but wonder how a man who was so miserable and difficult managed to compose all that great music.

One final thought: Beethoven, like most true geniuses, did not waste time worrying what his critics said. He ignored them completely and kept moving on his own path. In an odd way, he reminded me of Steven Jobs, who ignored his critics completely.

There never will be another Beethoven. There really won't be anyone remotely like him again. By reading this invaluable book, you can get a sense of who he was and why his life has meaning.

[Dirk · Rating 2 out of 5]

A better title, or perhaps a more accurate one, for this thin volume would have been Beethoven: The Man Fabricated. Relying largely on secondary sources, Suchet encounters many undocumented gaps in the life of Beethoven and fills them with might-have-beens and other circumstantial speculations. One case involves the identity of the woman Beethoven referred to as his "immortal beloved." Since Beethoven never committed her name to paper, Suchet rounds up the usual suspects (as guessed at by prior biographers), brackets the time frames within which they might have met, considers the map of possible locations, sniffs the centuries-old air for the scent of sexual musk, and arrives at his best guess at the woman's identity and whether Beethoven's interest was reciprocated or and a relationship consummated. After many instances of this type, the overall effect is of an art student adding color, depth and texture to someone else's stick figure and calling the finished result a portrait. The better part of Beethoven's life is revealed in his art; perhaps that's where we should turn to discover him.

[Vishvapani · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Beethoven who emerges from John Suchet's life is a figure of graphic extremes, especially towards the end. His family and life and personality descended into squalor even as he composed his greatest music. This is a readable and informative book, focusing on Beethoven's personal life and character, rather than the music and offering something more accessible to someone like me than biographies filled with staves and notes. That said, I would have like a bit more about the music in a way that connected it with the life. Suchet also doesn't try to take in intellectual, social or political history and ask how those affected Beethoven.

The strongest passage, which I have to quote here, describes the premiere of the Ninth Symphony where the chaotic and deaf Beethoven insisted on conducting, while the orchestra followed another conductor, Umlauf, who stood beside him.

'Umlauf brought down his arms for the final chord. It was over. The audience erupted, shouted and cheered, handkerchiefs and hates waved in the air. Beethoven! Beethoven! Beethoven!
Umlauf looked to his side. Beethoven, oblivious to what was happening continued to wave his arms, conducting the orchestra he was hearing in his head. Caroline Unger, the contralto who had so berated him in rehearsal, stepped forward. Gently she tapped Beethoven on the shoulder, nodded encouragingly at his bewildered face, and turned him to face the cheering audience.
At that moment Beethoven knew the gift he had given the world'

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was excellent, principily because, although I am a musician and I am comfortable with reading sheet music, the idea of reading through analysed scores is often like trudging through mud, because you don't always agree with every thing a person might think. Every musician interprets music differently. Yes there should be some analysis, but if you over analyse music then you only extract the original emotion that was the authors intent from the music, meaning you do not feel what you should when you perform it. So it was a wonderful change to pick up a book, that showed the composer as a human and not just a source of effortlessly brilliant pieces of genius. Reading this book was like growing up with Beethoven in a small German village, going with him through every thing that led to him being who he ended up being, the man he became known as and died true to. There were so many funny moments, such as piano battles where he disgraced prominent figures, where he acted rashly, where he made true friends and embarrassed himself. There were humble moments, where you could only recognize him as a human being, where you saw him cast away from love and family, in to solitude where only his music could understand him. I think that is some thing every musician including myself, finds an important feature of Beethovens music. Its taken me quite a while to finish this book, simply because I am one more accustomed to reading fiction than non fiction, and also because it is such a large book and I felt I needed to concentrate more in order to visualize Beethovens world as it was. By doing this, I preserved every page. Suchet has a way of capturing life on a page that I have never seen before. The way he describes Beethoven living through even the most trivial of things is fascinating, it makes him seem almost the human immortal. By the end of this book, which I have finished literally moments ago, I was heart broken, drained entirely. Because, you grow up with Beethoven in this book, you really get to know him and every thing about it him. It makes him seem like a person who is here now, not a person who is long gone. To find that he died the day before my birthday so many years before I was born, is some thing that shocked me. How could I have not known that? To have Suchets art of capturing every critical detail, every important facet, it made me feel there, a ghost in a room that no longer really exists as it was, the people and past behind it long faded. It felt like I was there watching him leave this world, the world through which he created so much magic. Even if you are not a musician I highly recommend this book. Just give it a real effort, force yourself through the first few chapters to the interesting adult mind and see just how similar to the rest of us even Beethoven, the great and powerful, was. See that even in the greatest and most highly acclaimed of spirits, there lies a very much human heart and soul.

[Ghost of the Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to follow....for now....wow!

Well....here goes nothing....

Beethoven is one of those names that come to mind when the words classical, music, Vienna, simphony are pronounced, but how much does one - of non musical background - actually know about the man himself?
There's of course that beautiful performance by Gary Oldman, the occasional mentions of his immortal beloved and duh...the many gorgeous pieces he composed over his lifetime.
What Mr. Suchet does here, and impeccably well in my personal opinion, is tie all those mentions populating our minds of the man, his life and work together in one fascinating tale that is, or was for me, impossible to put down.
I think if I was asked to choose one word to sum up not only this book but also Beethoven....daring endeavor I know....it would be feeling.
The intensity with which he approached every moment of his life, both personally and professionally is nothing short of remarkable and yes, for me anyways, draining.
One can't help but arrive at the end of this one feeling.... there's that word again....as if one had just ran the marathon. John Suchet explains his goal was to write a book for the non musical experts, for the guy/girl next door who probably knows 15 of Beethoven's compositions but can only name one....yep 9th simphony....and he succeeded beautifully.
This is book isn't just a biography of a remarkably talented man... cliche or not let's face it, he was a bloody genius....it's a labour of love and an ode to a man than changed classical music and opened a whole new range of possibilities for the generations that followed.
If I may, a suggestion, as the book progresses Suchet incorporates cleverly and seductively into the tale whatever piece Beethoven was working at the time, explaining them and decoding them for the non music experts....please if you have the time, get yourselfs listening to the pieces as they are incorporated within the story of his life, shedding a new light on Beethoven that is most definitely worth looking into.
It made my own personal reading experience 10 times better and left me with a new found respect and appreciation of just how brilliant Ludwig V Beethoven was.
By all means enjoy the book, best bio i have read in years, but also enjoy the music...as with anything else related to Beethoven, it's a hell of a ride!
Happy Readings!!

[Kimia · Rating 4 out of 5]

به این فکر میکنم که نبوغ یک همچین بزرگوار و ستایش شده ای چقدر با ضعف های شخصیتی و چقدر با آسیب هایی که از نزدیکترین آدمای زندگیش دیده، درهم تنیده شده و خیلی جای فکر داره…

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this very readable and engaging biography of Beethoven, John Suchet makes no claim to having discovered new facts about the composer’s life but believes that his approach to his subject, concentrating as it does on the man rather than the musician, offers the reader a real insight into this most difficult and challenging character. Suchet is a Beethoven scholar and life-long admirer, and wants to show the composer as the complex human being he was. He believes that knowing about the life makes you listen to the music through different ears, and that it helps your appreciation to know what was going on in the composer’s life at the time he wrote his great works.
Aimed at enthusiasts, lovers of music and the general reader, rather than at musicologists, the book succeeds on many levels. Informative, and drawing on many sources, it brings Beethoven to life as a fully-rounded person. There is, however, a certain amount of speculation and imaginative interpretation of events, and occasionally the fictionalising of these rings hollow. For me, there was a little too much conjecture at times, especially in the imagined conversations. But Suchet is unapologetic about this. “This is shameless fictionalising, I readily admit,” he says at one point, “but it gives a flavour of what I believe probably happened.” He admits that there are many questions to which we cannot possibly know the answers, and feels that speculation is fully justified. Certainly it makes for a very enjoyable read, but I did find it all a little too romanticised for comfort at times.
Nevertheless, this is a small quibble, and essentially Suchet has done a wonderful job in bringing the man and his music to life in convincing detail.

[Phil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Imagine you come to a grand museum or sanctuary--let's call it Beethoven Land. Tours are available and have been for some time--at this point they're a major mini-industry. You approach the tour guide and ask for his guidance. He tells you that you're in luck, that his tour will give you special insight into music that prompted this institution. He explains that instead of analyzing the music itself, he'll focus on the day-to-day life of its composer.

The tour begins. It follows a laid out plan followed by most guides who came before. You know it well: the childhood, Vienna, Haydn, Eroica, etc. Your tour guide acts as if he was a witness to it all, inserting himself into the narrative. He details the gossip, hyperbolizes upon their significance, over-reads into trivia, and engages in wanton speculation. And his promise? What of the music that prompted your visit? It's mentioned here or there in a few sentences--maybe an occasional paragraph--but it always leaves you wanting more.

The tour ends. He pats you all on the back and smiles triumphant. You're a bit bewildered, and seek solace in the the music that brought you here.

* * *

Ultimately, the book's an easy ride, but I feel like my time would've been better spent re-listening to the music. I picked up some trivia and neat anecdotes, sure, but at the price of needing to separate the fact from fiction.

[IWB · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a popular level biography written in an engaging narrative. No musical analysis, and no new facts or hypotheses about Beethoven's life or music.

I think it's the best introductory biographical book out there for Beethoven fans who are curious enough about the stormy composer to learn a little bit about who he was, but not so interested that they need concern themselves over historical debates and scholarly details.

It's an engrossing read and Suchet brings out the agonizing emotional turmoil, and mental anguish, that Beethoven experienced most of his life.

[Kirstin Dobson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
This is a great biography for someone who just wants to read about a musical genius without having to read the music, too. It is just plainly very well written. Also, a musician can enjoy it. I am a piano player, and the historical tie-in with the music and man greatly intrigued me. However, the storyline didn't turn into a music class. I knew enough of the pieces to be enthralled by the commentary, but not too much theory to bore me. I especially enjoyed the discussion of "Fur Elise." In fact, I must acknowledge the amazing discovery I made while reading this book was how that piece was first published on my birthday. It was my mother's favorite piece to have me play for her, even at her funeral. Although called "simplistic" here, I also love that piece. And Beethoven still amazes me!

[Lucie HAND · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book left me breathless... in a good way....I LOVE Beethoven, his music, him as a person, and I cry when I think of how difficult his life was. Even the author is amazed at what was going on in Beethoven's life when he composed some of his masterpieces. This author is wonderful, smooth writer and he did tons of research. Apparently Beethoven is his favorite composer over several others. He has written other composer books...I had just read the one on Johann Strauss, Jr. and was impressed by his conversational and smooth writing....he just makes you feel like you're sitting with him and conversing about the person. As most people know, Beethoven started losing his hearing rather young, and it progressed as he aged...plus he came from a difficult family, with lots of problems, which he tried sometimes unsuccessfully to resolve. Some problems had NO solutions. Beethoven was a genius as far as his music...so he had a rather eccentric personality that was a bit difficult at times, but he had a big heart. I would loved to have known him. I hope I would have accepted him with all his flaws, because his music is so wonderful, satisfying and fulfilling.

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I am a lover of biographies and other such related works, I am not a musician or anything of the like. With that said, I elected to read Beethoven: The Man Revealed by John Suchet because I have a general appreciation for Beethoven's music, and I wanted to understand him more.

Truly one of the greatest composers of all time, Beethoven lived a tragically romantic life. His story, as revealed by Suchet, is one of color, movement, and adversity. From early childhood up until his death, Beethoven was challenged greatly. His family life, his relationships, his behavior, his triumphs, his struggles, it all shaped him and made him and the music he composed compelling.

I enjoyed reading this book very much. I would definitely recommend it to Beethoven enthusiasts.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review. The words I have expressed are my own.

[Flapper72 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really is a wonderful book. It was very refreshing to read a book about Beethoven the man, yes, the man. OK, OK, it helps to understand the music and put his personality and life into perspective but it really did focus on him and his experiences of life. I found that really refreshing. Obviously written by someone who admires this great man and his music but it concentrated on him. I had hoped that it would be exposed that he were actually a wonderful, congenial gentleman but, using direct first hand evidence in many cases this seems most definitely not to have been the case. At times I felt uncomfortable reading about how he was perceived and seen by those around him. Maybe he would not have had to suffer with such inner turmoil if he were born today - one hopes that, perhaps, that would have been the case. The counter argument - we may never have been party to the experience of his musical majesty.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a mountain to climb to write about one of the most gifted musicians of all time (the best to me par with Bach) and John Suchet did a wonderful job in doing so. The book sheds light on Beethoven’s life from childhood to death with great detail. Made me smile in parts and brought tears to my eyes in others. It’s a bliss to read the book while listening to his music. All respect to John Suchet for the great biography.

[Slow Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Underwritten fabulation, mostly because Suchet is trying to wring a narrative from unreliable fragments and anecdotes. The amount of times he says "I confess the conversation and that last quote are drawn from my imagination..." in the first 4 chapters is enough to make one consider returning the book. Despite the acknowledgement, this much pure invention is un-biographical. If you're going to fictionalize, then just write alluring fiction for christsake! The broad strokes, while comprehensive and gossipy, are far too plainly written. His prose style resembles the quotidian musings of a simpleton.

______________

On the child Beethoven's handwriting:
"His handwriting was close to illegible,
his punctuation and spelling poor, and he was useless with
figures – there is evidence later on that he could not add up
his household bills. In later life his signatures were often so
erratic that future musicologists had trouble deciding
whether some were authentic."

On meeting Mozart:
"Ludwig was taken to Mozart, who asked him to sit at the
piano and play something. Ludwig did this, but Mozart was
cool in his praise, saying he had obviously prepared a
showpiece specially. Ludwig then asked Mozart to give him a
theme that he could improvise on. Mozart did so, and Ludwig
began to improvise. His playing became more and more
elaborate, because he was inspired in the presence of the
master musician whom he so greatly admired. Mozart became
more and more impressed, and finally, without saying
anything to Ludwig, went into the adjoining room where some
friends were sitting, and said, ‘Watch out for that boy, one day
he will give the world something to talk about."

On the contest with Steibelt:
With
one finger he hammered out a series of notes from the first
bar of Steibelt’s music. He made it sound exactly what it was:
crude and unsophisticated. He then began to improvise. And
boy, did he improvise. He imitated Steibelt’s playing, he
unpicked it and put it back together again, he played some
tremolandos, emphasising their absurdity. He played in a way
no salon audience had heard before, and that Steibelt could
not have believed was humanly possible.
It is easy to picture that powerful head, hair untamed,
clothes inappropriate, fingers moving in a blur, no doubt
singing, shouting, quite possibly hurling insults at the
Prussian, who was probably sitting, back erect, powdered wig
in place, clothes perfectly fitting, fingers curling tighter and
tighter, as he realised he was not just being outplayed, he was
being humiliated – in front of the most sophisticated musical
gathering in the most sophisticated musical city in Europe.
Steibelt did not sit that way for long. With Beethoven still
playing, he rose from his chair and strode out of the salon. He
made it clear he never wanted to meet Beethoven again, and
that if ever he was invited to perform again in Vienna, he
would do so only if Beethoven was not present.

On becoming deaf:
"My ears continue to hum and buzz day and night. I must
confess that I lead a miserable life. For almost two years I have
ceased to attend any social functions, simply because I find it
impossible to say to people: I am deaf. If I had any other
profession I might be able to cope with my infirmity. But in my
profession it is a terrible handicap ... As for the spoken voice, it
is surprising that some people have never noticed my
deafness. But since I have always been liable to fits of absent-
mindedness, they attribute my hardness of hearing to that.
Sometimes I can scarcely hear a person who speaks softly. I
can hear sounds, it is true, but cannot make out the words."


"But what a humiliation when someone next to me heard a flute in
the distance and I heard nothing, or someone heard the
shepherd sing, and again I heard nothing. Such things have
brought me near to despair. Only a little more and I would
even have ended my life. Only my art, that is all that held me
back. It would have been impossible for me to leave this world
until I had brought forth everything that was within me, and
so I continued to eke out a miserable existence – truly
miserable, my condition so sensitive, that a sudden change of
mood could plunge me from happiness into despair – Patience
– that is what I must now let guide me, and what I have let
guide me – I hope above all that I will be resolute enough to
wait until pitiless fate determines to break the thread. Maybe
my health will improve, maybe not. Whatever, I am prepared.
Already in my 28th year I was forced to accept my fate, and
that is not easy, in fact it is harder for an artist than for
anybody. "


On the infamous third Piano Concerto performance:
"Beethoven asked Seyfried to turn the pages for him. But,
‘as was so often the case’, says Seyfried, Beethoven had not
had time to put it all down on paper. Seyfried’s blood ran cold
when he looked at the piano part on the stand and saw almost
nothing but empty sheets of paper. ‘At the most on one page or
the other a few Egyptian hieroglyphics which were wholly
unintelligible to me, scribbled down to serve as clues for him
... He gave me a secret glance whenever he was at the end of
one of the invisible passages, and my scarcely concealable
anxiety not to miss the decisive moment amused him greatly,
and he laughed heartily at the jovial supper which we ate
afterwards.’"


etcetera

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fascinating man Beethoven was. I took my time reading this book - it's not one of those page-turners that you can't put down. It makes me wonder if eccentricity is a side-effect of genius or an excuse for bad behavior. I don't know. I've very glad we have his music and I'm also happy I never had to live with the man! What a history! What wonders he left for all of us to enjoy.

[David Roark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative...while pretty speculative at times, it's interesting to get a look into his life and get insight into Beethoven the man. I enjoyed it a lot!

[Helen Bussell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book told the story of Beethoven’s life. There was a section at the end detailing his work. As a lover of music, but not a musicologist, I felt this book was ideal. John Suchet writes so well and has completed so much research to produce this book. The book is very readable, giving just the right amount of detail about the music and a tremendous amount about Beethoven the man. I bought this book after attending a weekend festival of Beethoven’s symphonies at which John Suchet presented an introduction to each concert. His talks got me really interested in Beethoven the person and his book has helped me explore this. In the 250 Anniversary year of the composer’s birth this is recommended reading.

[JW · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd been wanting a layman's biography of Beethoven for a while and discovered this one in my Twitter feed a month or so ago. You do not need the ability to read music or understand the difference between major and minor keys to get everything from this bio that Suchet delivers. It's all about the person, the genius of Beethoven. An easy read, a quick read but contains the emotional and historical elements deserving of a great artist. 5*

[Chrissa Kuntz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel focuses more on the man than the music -- but certainly does not ignore the music. The author inserts himself nicely into the narrative, telling his readers when to pay attention to minor events because they have an important role later. I really enjoyed his writing style. Also, I am soooooooooo lucky to live in a time with sanitary, advanced, humane medicine. Holy night.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this!
I’ve been working on reading it for a couple of months, even though I bought it 2 yeas ago...

[Susanna Polakov · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have so far read about one fifth of the book. The reason for why I chose this particular biography of Beethoven over other books is that I immensely enjoyed the Strauss' biography by the same author. As much as I enjoyed the book about Strauss I now struggle with this one. There are too many speculations, anecdotes and "what I think might have happened back then" type of stories. A lot of the events and conversations have only taken place in Mr Suchet's imagination, which he widely admits. A lot of suppositions by the author's own admissions are very far-fetched. I understand that all of this might be due to lack of proven facts, but tbh the idea was to read about Beethoven's life and not how other people imagined it. If there are not enough verifiable information, so be it - to me it would be fairer simply say so and move on. If the author's desire to fill in the book with his own ideas of what Beethoven's life could have been like he should have written a fictional account of famous composer's life. I am still not giving up on the book in a hope that as Beethoven gets more recognition the narration will become of a nature more suitable to a non-fiction book and will post an update as soon as I have something to say

This is the promised update. The book did improve when Beethoven's fame became more established and more evidence became available to provide us with a glimpse into his life. Still, even though there were less opinions and suppositions and more facts I found myself time and again in an utter disbelief that I am reading a book of the same author who wrote Strauss' biography, which I read in almost one sitting and which kept me absorbed throughout. At this moment I am struggling to find a satisfactory explanation to this but on an emotional level the Beethoven story felt rushed and the narration simply wouldn't flow. In the end of each chapter there was a line saying the events described in the next one had a most profound, or a most dramatic, or a biggest effect on the composer life as if the reader wouldn't go on without extra push. I am glad that I read the Strauss' biography first as it is a wonderful book, which I'd never have read had I come across this book first. On the other hand, I wish I'd found a better written Beethoven's biography to enjoy reading it more. The book and the style it is written in have nothing to do with the story of Beethoven, who was a hugely strong personality and extraordinary genius whose life was largely shaped by tragic events and misfortunes. I was profoundly upset by his nephew's story but still found admirable Beethoven's inability and unwillingness to comply with social norms and rules based on status, class and prejudices. Perhaps, he was born ahead of his time?

[Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most certainly a troubled soul. I am glad to have finally found a biography that is not technical. This book was about the man and his music without going into music theory.
Beethoven certainly was gifted with immense musical talent both in performance and composition. He was always very proud, irritable, paranoid and even brutal to others. His treatment of his nephew if the accounts in this book are true, was inexcusable.
He wanted to get married, but with his volcanic temperament it is no wonder that no one would remotely consider marriage to him.
There are instances in the book where Beethoven was kind and pleasant, however those instances were far too rare.
No doubt his difficult childhood had an impact on him, that has to be taken into account.
On numerous occasions he bit the hands that fed him. These patrons liked Beethoven, he simply became angry with them for some reason, usually not a very one.
I liked getting a sense of Austria during this time period. When his nephew tried committing suicide the doctor was required to report it to the authorities. After he recovered he was required to go to jail until a priest certified that he sufficiently knew his Catholic faith. Also, at Beethoven's funeral the eulogy was not allowed to be read at the grave site as this interfered with the Catholic ritual. It was given at the entrance to the cemetery.
I also liked his surprisingly positive comments about Haydn and Handel.
Interesting book about a person who has had a tremendous impact on western civilization.

[Jane Calow · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting and very readable review of the family and personal issues Beethoven faced from an early age and how these impacted his music. John Suchet clearly states where his writing is speculation rather than fact but this is not intended to be an academic review and in my view these statements and stories add interest to the narrative. I was interested to read that he continued to compose throughout any and every difficulty he experienced - and there were many. It certainly makes you appreciate his music even more.

[GONZA · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting something different, with a more careful eye to the musical life of this composer, but this book, however well documented, offers only the vision on the biography of the author, and appointing the works gradually. Clear that it is also useful to know what was going on at that time to the musician to get an idea of the whole situation, but I would have preferred less soap opera and more music.

Mi aspettavo qualcosa di diverso, con un occhio piú attento alla parte musicale della vita di questo compositore, invece questo libro, per quanto ben documentato, offre solo la visione sulla parte biografica dell'autore e nominando le opere via via. Chiaro che serve anche sapere quello che stava succedendo in quel momento al musicista per avere un'idea d'insieme piú chiara del tutto, ma avrei preferito meno telenovela e piú musica.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND GROVE ATLANTIC FOR THE PREVIEW!

[Robynne Berg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst not for the scholar, this book offers a wonderful insight into Beethoven; his life and music. It’s sensitively written and gives room for an empathetic understanding of the man; his brilliance, his flaws and his goodness. And his sense of humour. It correlates his music with specific times in his life. I often played a piece whilst reading about its inspiration, composition or performance. It gave me a rich new understanding and appreciation for the œuvre of one of the greatest and most innovative composers in history. It will be referred to again to help me in further developing my understanding of Beethoven and his music.