The Beethoven Obsession

by Brendan Ward

A fast-paced drama of frustration, envy, rivalry, struggle and success, this work tells the story of the intertwined lives of four people: Ludwig von Beethoven, a concert pianist who was a self-taught child prodigy, a fanatical inventor who disassembled pianos as a child, and television cameraman who became a music entrepreneur in order to translate the music he loved into the first recording of Beethoven’s music captured wholly on an Australian grand piano. This unorthodox and historic odyssey makes for an ideal read for anyone with an interest in classical music or the culture of Australia.

ebook

First published August 1, 2013

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone interested in Beethoven or the piano's intricacies, this is a wonderful story.

It is an all-Australian story about how the author, Brendan Ward, was instrumental in the marriage of Gerard Willems with the Stuart piano. The only non-Australian participant is Beethoven.

And there is a story in each of the participants. How the Stuart piano came into being, how Gerard Willems became one of Australia's most notable pianists, how his recordings of the Beethoven Sonatas on the Stuart evolved, why recording the 32 sonatas are considered one of the pinnacles of achievement on the piano, how Willems was taught the piano by a direct line of descendants from Beethoven, and so on. Fascinating!!