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Why Beethoven: A Phenomenon in One Hundred Pieces
Without Beethoven, music as we know it wouldn’t exist. By examining one hundred of his compositions, a portrait emerges of the man behind the music.
Lebrecht has immersed himself in the rich catalog of Beethoven recordings and presents a unique picture of the man through his music. He selects the best recordings of one hundred key pieces, showing the composer as we’ve never seen him before. Unruly, offensive, and hopeless in so much of his life, yet driven to a fault and devoted to his art, conquering deafness to pen masterpieces.
Norman Lebrecht has been grappling with this icon at the heart of music for his entire life. Who was the irascible, unpredictable, warped genius who stretched what music could do to the breaking point?
In this unique examination, Lebrecht attempts to understand the power of this man through his compositions, the history of who has performed them, and what it has meant to successive generations of audiences. In turn a detective story (we learn who Elise of “Fur Elise” is for the first time) and a confession, Why Beethoven aims to rise to the challenge of how to encompass the relentless energy of this singular genius.
With a narrative that mirrors the wayward sequence of Beethoven’s compositions, Beethoven emerges as a cornerstone of the world as we know it.
Lebrecht has immersed himself in the rich catalog of Beethoven recordings and presents a unique picture of the man through his music. He selects the best recordings of one hundred key pieces, showing the composer as we’ve never seen him before. Unruly, offensive, and hopeless in so much of his life, yet driven to a fault and devoted to his art, conquering deafness to pen masterpieces.
Norman Lebrecht has been grappling with this icon at the heart of music for his entire life. Who was the irascible, unpredictable, warped genius who stretched what music could do to the breaking point?
In this unique examination, Lebrecht attempts to understand the power of this man through his compositions, the history of who has performed them, and what it has meant to successive generations of audiences. In turn a detective story (we learn who Elise of “Fur Elise” is for the first time) and a confession, Why Beethoven aims to rise to the challenge of how to encompass the relentless energy of this singular genius.
With a narrative that mirrors the wayward sequence of Beethoven’s compositions, Beethoven emerges as a cornerstone of the world as we know it.
348 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 2, 2023
49 people are currently reading
249 people want to read
About the author
Norman Lebrecht
48 books47 followersNorman Lebrecht (born 11 July 1948 in London) is a British commentator on music and cultural affairs and a novelist. He was a columnist for The Daily Telegraph from 1994 until 2002 and assistant editor of the Evening Standard from 2002 until 2009. On BBC Radio 3, he has presented lebrecht.live from 2000 and The Lebrecht Interview from 2006.
He has written twelve books about music, which have been translated into 17 languages. Coming up in 2010 is Why Mahler?, a new interpretation of the most influential composer of modern times. See Books for more details. Also coming back in print is Mahler Remembered (Faber, 1987).
Norman Lebrecht's first novel The Song of Names won a Whitbread Award in 2003. His second, The Game of Opposites, was published in the US by Pantheon Books. A third is in preparation.
A collection of Lebrecht columns will be published this year in China, the first such anthology by any western cultural writer. A Lebrecht conversation appears monthly in The Strad, magazine of the strings professions.
The Lebrecht Interview will return in July 2010 on BBC Radio 3 and there will be further editions of The Record Doctor in New York on WNYC.
A year-long series of events, titled Why Mahler?, will open on London's South Bank in September 2010, curated by Norman Lebrecht.
Other works in progress include a stage play and various radio and television documentaries.
He has written twelve books about music, which have been translated into 17 languages. Coming up in 2010 is Why Mahler?, a new interpretation of the most influential composer of modern times. See Books for more details. Also coming back in print is Mahler Remembered (Faber, 1987).
Norman Lebrecht's first novel The Song of Names won a Whitbread Award in 2003. His second, The Game of Opposites, was published in the US by Pantheon Books. A third is in preparation.
A collection of Lebrecht columns will be published this year in China, the first such anthology by any western cultural writer. A Lebrecht conversation appears monthly in The Strad, magazine of the strings professions.
The Lebrecht Interview will return in July 2010 on BBC Radio 3 and there will be further editions of The Record Doctor in New York on WNYC.
A year-long series of events, titled Why Mahler?, will open on London's South Bank in September 2010, curated by Norman Lebrecht.
Other works in progress include a stage play and various radio and television documentaries.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 25, 2023
In Norman Lebrecht's singular biography, we meet Beethoven through his music, all 100 pieces of it, not via the historical period, not in light of other composers and little about his challenging personality. Beethoven IS his music. It's where he lived and breathed even through disability. A unique exploration of the heart of this genius composer, which is his music - always.
Why Beethoven?
Because.
A biography that is engaging, informative, accessible, beautifully written, and heartwarming. Not a word generally associated with this innovative and brilliant composer, but true.
"The fourth symphony proved itself a good litmus test for HIP (Historically Informed Performance) Beethoven on record, being riddled with outlandish approaches. Its understated, ultra-slow opening anticipates Schumann and Mahler. Hector Berlioz speaks of the symphony's 'heavenly gentleness'. Leonard Bernstein calls it 'the biggest surprise package Beethoven has ever handed us'. Carlos Kleiber, whose 1982 Munich recording is at once magical and wayward, claimed a repetitive viola motif in the second movement is Beethoven plaintively crying "Therese, Therese." The Marxist social philosopher Theodor W. Adorno astutely calls the symphony 'suspended time.'"
Why Beethoven?
Because.
A biography that is engaging, informative, accessible, beautifully written, and heartwarming. Not a word generally associated with this innovative and brilliant composer, but true.
"The fourth symphony proved itself a good litmus test for HIP (Historically Informed Performance) Beethoven on record, being riddled with outlandish approaches. Its understated, ultra-slow opening anticipates Schumann and Mahler. Hector Berlioz speaks of the symphony's 'heavenly gentleness'. Leonard Bernstein calls it 'the biggest surprise package Beethoven has ever handed us'. Carlos Kleiber, whose 1982 Munich recording is at once magical and wayward, claimed a repetitive viola motif in the second movement is Beethoven plaintively crying "Therese, Therese." The Marxist social philosopher Theodor W. Adorno astutely calls the symphony 'suspended time.'"
June 21, 2023
Como são bonitas a vida e a obra de Beethoven.
April 28, 2025
Uniquely creative, probably deliberately written in Beethoven’s manner of getting the feeling right without any regard to a particular length, style, arrangement. Each chapter is different, and each is creative in its own way.
There is something about the breadth and depth of insight that keeps you coming back— the author has a true passion for the intersection between the great composer, the conductors, and instrumentalist. Each play a critically important role in the Quality of the outcome.
My feedback to the author is to consider putting together a companion audiobook/podcast like “the history of the world in 100 objects”. Many of the referred to recordings are not simple to trace, but if presented alongside the text the results would be even more amazing than this book— which i am giving five stars even after re-baselining my star scale.
A superb read that will change the way i approach and hear beethoven for the rest of my life. Strongest recommendation to all.
There is something about the breadth and depth of insight that keeps you coming back— the author has a true passion for the intersection between the great composer, the conductors, and instrumentalist. Each play a critically important role in the Quality of the outcome.
My feedback to the author is to consider putting together a companion audiobook/podcast like “the history of the world in 100 objects”. Many of the referred to recordings are not simple to trace, but if presented alongside the text the results would be even more amazing than this book— which i am giving five stars even after re-baselining my star scale.
A superb read that will change the way i approach and hear beethoven for the rest of my life. Strongest recommendation to all.
August 27, 2024
This is not a book to be rushed through. After its colourful introduction to Beethoven, it becomes meditative. The author offers context to as well as his thoughts on the compositions and recordings on a hundred of Beethoven's pieces in separate chapters, and as such, you'll do yourself a disservice to not simultaneously listen to them, although Lebrecht helpfully indicates which parts to look out for so you don't always have to go through every minute of every movement of every Sonata if it's not catching you at the time. Best picked up while you have another book to hand so you can finish the piece, and then return to move onto the next chapter.
Lebrecht's book has a QR code at the beginning which directs you to his recommended YouTube recordings.
The author's final thoughts are a bit infuriating. He's proudly anti-woke. Don't let that put you off this otherwise informative book.
Lebrecht's book has a QR code at the beginning which directs you to his recommended YouTube recordings.
The author's final thoughts are a bit infuriating. He's proudly anti-woke. Don't let that put you off this otherwise informative book.
August 8, 2025
From start to finish, I found this a most accessible way to learn more about Beethoven’s music and life. In 100 chapters about the music, Norman Lebrecht shares highly readable tidbits or short essays or delightful meanderings. I started reading this book on a cruise ship and had to leave the book onboard. I had planned to buy it when I got home but decided to finish reading it first (thank you, Milwaukee Public Library System) to make sure there were no disappointments at the end that I could not overlook. Now, I want to read the book—all 100 chapters about the compositions—again and listen to as much of the music as I can. I’m in awe of Mr Lebrecht’s knowledge of music and Beethoven and his ability to organize.
Probably one of the top two books I’ve read this year.
Some of the chapters are as little as one page in length, so it’s a perfect book for when you have only a short window for reading as well as when you have a bigger span of time.
Probably one of the top two books I’ve read this year.
Some of the chapters are as little as one page in length, so it’s a perfect book for when you have only a short window for reading as well as when you have a bigger span of time.
February 10, 2025
I enjoyed the book, it had a lot of history in little snippets relating to 100 of Beethovens best works. “Music, he said, ‘is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life’, a bridge between heaven and earth”. I enjoyed reading about different conductors producing the music in modern times and which ones are worth a listen to. “It is also an inspiration for every human being with a creative spark never to give up making art so long as there is breath in the lungs and bread in the bin”. For most chapters I would listen to the song for that chapter so I could really feel and understand what I was reading. Music impacts us and our inner selves and it was nice to hear how these songs impact someone else. “He took music beyond entertainment”. I hope Beethoven does not get canceled, his music is so wonderful and it’s amazing he created so much and so many masterpieces after he went deaf. He created musical chaos that lasted and thrived throughout the ages. “Albert Einstein would say: ‘Before Beethoven, music was written for right now; with Beethoven, music starts to be written for eternity’”.
August 13, 2023
I checked this book out from the library expecting to enjoy it more than I did. About 15% covered Beethoven's life history, which was interesting and full of good anecdotes about what was going on as he composed each of the discussed works. The rest of the book discusses different recordings of each of the Beethoven opuses, most quite far back in history, and told in an insider-type style full of name dropping, that gets old quite quickly. I made it through about 75% of the book, then just skimmed the remainder.
May 23, 2024
Some good commentary, but the author really rushes through a lot of info. He often drops clever one-liners when I really want some more depth. The last chapter is a very unnecessary rant against cancel culture (Beethoven is not in danger of being “canceled”) that left a bad taste in my mouth. Overall it’s worth reading for some interesting stories and good, though way too brief, comparisons of recordings.
July 1, 2024
If you're looking for a biography on Beethoven, this isn't it.
September 5, 2023
Full review here: https://dearstrangethings.substack.co...
October 20, 2024
100 short essays about his favorite pieces of Beethoven's music. A great way to learn a lot about the whole range of Beethoven's work. Has a similar book about Mahler!
October 15, 2025
Unique format
Fearless & opinionated, like Beethoven himself
Fearless & opinionated, like Beethoven himself
August 31, 2024
A playlist of the recordings recommended in the book:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1lO...
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1lO...
February 18, 2023
Do not waste your time on this book. The author could have written it in 5-6 pages and the pieces he describes and writes about are written in a very short, catalogued, dry, boring way. Save your hard-earned money for something better. No wonder one of his previous books,"Why Mahler" was dismissed by me and others as a redundant one.
July 31, 2023
Very interesting
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews