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The Lives and Times of the Great Composers
A grand and panoramic biograhical history of the giants of classical music, The Lives and Times of Great Composers is a new, unique, and lovingly constructed modern reference--and a beguiling read which you will return to again and again.
Interlinked yet self-contained, each chapter distills the life of one or more composers, set against the social, political, musical, and cultural background of the time. Read the story of Bach, the respectable burgher, much of whose vast output was composed amidst petty turf disputes in Luteran Leipzig; or the ugly, argumentative Beethoven, obsessed by his laundry; or Mozart, the over-exploited infant prodigy whose untimely death was shrouded in rumor; or the ghastly death of Donizetti and Smetana. Read about Verdi, who composed against the background of the Italian Risorgimento , or about the family life of the Wagners; and Brahms, who rose from the slums of Hamburg to become a devotee of beer and coffee in fin-de-siecle Vienna, a cultural capital bent on destroying Mahler.
Michael Steen paints a vivid portrait of the tumultuous times in which these brilliant, yet flawed, human beings labored--a tour of 350 years of European history. From Handel's London and the speculative financial frenzy of the "South Sea bubble"; to the courts of petty German princelings and the ornate and sleazy Dresden; to the astonishingly creative Vienna of Beethoven and Schubert; to the opera in 19th-century Paris and Bizet in the Franco-Prussian War and the Commune; to the Majorca of Chopin, to the Russia of Tchaikovsky and the Siege of Leningrad, just one of the many horrors which Shostakovich had to survive. We encounter, too, painters such as Renoir and Manet, literary figures like Zola, Proust, and Dostoyevsky, and religious leaders such as Pope Pius IX and Cardinal Newman. Great Composers paints in broad brushstrokes the culture of a continent far wider than music.
Interlinked yet self-contained, each chapter distills the life of one or more composers, set against the social, political, musical, and cultural background of the time. Read the story of Bach, the respectable burgher, much of whose vast output was composed amidst petty turf disputes in Luteran Leipzig; or the ugly, argumentative Beethoven, obsessed by his laundry; or Mozart, the over-exploited infant prodigy whose untimely death was shrouded in rumor; or the ghastly death of Donizetti and Smetana. Read about Verdi, who composed against the background of the Italian Risorgimento , or about the family life of the Wagners; and Brahms, who rose from the slums of Hamburg to become a devotee of beer and coffee in fin-de-siecle Vienna, a cultural capital bent on destroying Mahler.
Michael Steen paints a vivid portrait of the tumultuous times in which these brilliant, yet flawed, human beings labored--a tour of 350 years of European history. From Handel's London and the speculative financial frenzy of the "South Sea bubble"; to the courts of petty German princelings and the ornate and sleazy Dresden; to the astonishingly creative Vienna of Beethoven and Schubert; to the opera in 19th-century Paris and Bizet in the Franco-Prussian War and the Commune; to the Majorca of Chopin, to the Russia of Tchaikovsky and the Siege of Leningrad, just one of the many horrors which Shostakovich had to survive. We encounter, too, painters such as Renoir and Manet, literary figures like Zola, Proust, and Dostoyevsky, and religious leaders such as Pope Pius IX and Cardinal Newman. Great Composers paints in broad brushstrokes the culture of a continent far wider than music.
994 pages, Hardcover
First published October 2, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 15, 2024
This book has been a companion for quite some time - a ‘rolling read’ that I’ve picked up in-between novels. A good decision given its length.
I loved it, not only for documenting those well-known greats (most e.g. Beethoven and Mahler with dedicated chapters) but also for the documentary-style detail of the social, political and geo-political times they endured and sometimes fought against - a satisfying and educative component indeed.
From the baroque and classical masters, who struggled financially because of their often-lowly status, to the likes of Elgar who was embarrassed to be seen in public with his violin case until established as a serious composer.
Where were the women composers? Other than passing references to say Fanny Mendelssohn or Clara Schumann, included in the chapters about their male counterparts, there are none.
Dame Ethel Smyth had a huge musical output. Louise Farrenc was the first and only female professor of music at the Paris Conservatory, and the there’s Amy Beach - a child prodigy and first female composer to have a symphony performed.
I’m sure their legacies would have been equally impressive as some of the others outlined in this great book. Just sayin’…
I loved it, not only for documenting those well-known greats (most e.g. Beethoven and Mahler with dedicated chapters) but also for the documentary-style detail of the social, political and geo-political times they endured and sometimes fought against - a satisfying and educative component indeed.
From the baroque and classical masters, who struggled financially because of their often-lowly status, to the likes of Elgar who was embarrassed to be seen in public with his violin case until established as a serious composer.
Where were the women composers? Other than passing references to say Fanny Mendelssohn or Clara Schumann, included in the chapters about their male counterparts, there are none.
Dame Ethel Smyth had a huge musical output. Louise Farrenc was the first and only female professor of music at the Paris Conservatory, and the there’s Amy Beach - a child prodigy and first female composer to have a symphony performed.
I’m sure their legacies would have been equally impressive as some of the others outlined in this great book. Just sayin’…
April 25, 2009
Found this at the Library by accident and what a superb find it was; should be a permanent part of everyone's home library. These are short survey pieces heralding various composers over a 350 year period, their music, operas and lives - the longest was Mozart at 40 pages. The writing is not at the level of biography and some of the information is cobbled together loosely but the book achieves its major objectives and is well worthwhile. All this material in a single volume is a great plus. You do not have to read the book in its entirety as it is more a reference work and in this case I did not. Including all the major figures, I enjoyed learning more about many other artists who nevertheless composed some of my favorite pieces.
October 13, 2015
This book is really good. It's a history of Europe through the eyes of some composers starting with Handel. It also covers some of the food they would have eaten and the situations they would have lived in at the time. It is a really interesting book. There are some people that weren't covered, but whatever. This book is long enough already.
It starts from Handel because of a reason printed in the book itself. I believe it had something to do with music being established at the time as an art form and whatnot. Not that there weren't composers before Handel, but like I said, it does explain it.
I suppose I should have known, but a lot of old composers died from STDs. Jeez. It's also interesting hearing about the Hapsburgs and Rothschilds and other names that I am butchering.
It starts from Handel because of a reason printed in the book itself. I believe it had something to do with music being established at the time as an art form and whatnot. Not that there weren't composers before Handel, but like I said, it does explain it.
I suppose I should have known, but a lot of old composers died from STDs. Jeez. It's also interesting hearing about the Hapsburgs and Rothschilds and other names that I am butchering.
July 18, 2024
A fascinating and insightful overview of some of history's finest composers and the world they lived in. It focuses more on historical and biographical detail rather than musicological analysis, meaning it's accessible to those without musical knowledge (such as myself). My favourite chapters included Mahler (of course), Beethoven, Schumann, Tchaikovsky and Schubert. I now have a much deeper appreciation of these individuals and how they created such timeless masterpieces.
December 1, 2008
Great reference book!!!
February 17, 2017
Thorough and interesting--everything such a book should be.
November 3, 2022
This book is literally what it says in the title: the lives and times of the great composers. It is about the men (and they are all male) not the music. As such, it is a series of mini-biographies of the composers and there is a lot of Western European history in there.
Today we have very much a false impression of "classical" music looking at it very much as a whole, whereas at the time there were bitter divisions over where music was heading. Followers of Brahms and Wagner were the rockers v mods of their day.
An amazing amount of material is covered very authoritatively. I have read full biographies of many of the subjects but the emphasis in this work is that each man was very much of his time, and the actions they took and the things they did can be looked at from that perspective.
If you want to know about the development of classic music then a much better book which I can recommend is: The Lives of the Great Composers
Today we have very much a false impression of "classical" music looking at it very much as a whole, whereas at the time there were bitter divisions over where music was heading. Followers of Brahms and Wagner were the rockers v mods of their day.
An amazing amount of material is covered very authoritatively. I have read full biographies of many of the subjects but the emphasis in this work is that each man was very much of his time, and the actions they took and the things they did can be looked at from that perspective.
If you want to know about the development of classic music then a much better book which I can recommend is: The Lives of the Great Composers
July 25, 2021
Not going to lie. This book took awhile to get through but I felt particularly accomplished once I finished it. I love that the book didn’t analyze the composers music, but instead gave us a look into their lives in regards to what was happening in history. Steen discusses multiple composers such as Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Rossini, Tchaikovsky, and Schubert. Most of the composers got their own chapter filled with juicy details about their personal lives and careers. And it’s sad to say that most of these composers did not have happy endings.
If you are looking for a book that goes into the music analysis, this isn’t for you. This book is more for those that love history and are curious to find out what a day in the life of was like for some of the most legendary composers of the 16 century all the way to the early 20th century. Great book for music history lovers!
If you are looking for a book that goes into the music analysis, this isn’t for you. This book is more for those that love history and are curious to find out what a day in the life of was like for some of the most legendary composers of the 16 century all the way to the early 20th century. Great book for music history lovers!
October 24, 2018
Masterfully sourced and concisely written. Steen seems to know everything about everything with regards to history and the life and times of the main composers.
This book is ideal for someone who knows the names, has a rough idea of the salient dates, and wants to know more about the rich heritage we have inherited both in music and culture as a whole.
This book is ideal for someone who knows the names, has a rough idea of the salient dates, and wants to know more about the rich heritage we have inherited both in music and culture as a whole.
October 24, 2015
In giving this book three stars I have been generous, as for much of its duration, it was going to only get two, but I have learned a lot of things I didn't know before, so I think it is 2.5 stars in reality. I also learned a lot of things I didn't need to know.
More accurately, the book should be called " The times of the Great Composers and a little about their Lives", as that is the focus. The author has done a lot of research and he makes sure that you get it all. So we get details of events and place that composers never went to. Plus we get long details of what other people thought of places but not what the composers thought. Few links are made between the times and the work. The author assumes you know what the composer wrote. So, he doesn't bother telling you that.
There are some strange pronouncements: "how many brides have walked down the aisle to the strains of the Grand March from Aida!" In my experience, and I take weddings, the answer is none. There is no mention of weddings in the sections on Mendelssohn and Wagner. Their music is used far more on such occasions. As always in such books, there can be arguments over the definition of "Great". Why is Ravel just an afterthought in the section on Faure when he is the more important composer? More importantly, there are hints in the section on Mahler that Arnold Schoeberg would soon come and turn the musical world upside down, but then there is nothing. Like the music or not, a chapter should have been written on Schoenberg, Webern, Berg. It would fit with discussion on WWI.
If you have had some difficulties in reading this review, with its long sentences and multiple sub clauses, followed by a series of shorter sentences, then you will struggle with this book. It is written like that. Some sentences follow on. Some sentences do not. The first time I tried to read it, I gave up. It is better in short doses.
More accurately, the book should be called " The times of the Great Composers and a little about their Lives", as that is the focus. The author has done a lot of research and he makes sure that you get it all. So we get details of events and place that composers never went to. Plus we get long details of what other people thought of places but not what the composers thought. Few links are made between the times and the work. The author assumes you know what the composer wrote. So, he doesn't bother telling you that.
There are some strange pronouncements: "how many brides have walked down the aisle to the strains of the Grand March from Aida!" In my experience, and I take weddings, the answer is none. There is no mention of weddings in the sections on Mendelssohn and Wagner. Their music is used far more on such occasions. As always in such books, there can be arguments over the definition of "Great". Why is Ravel just an afterthought in the section on Faure when he is the more important composer? More importantly, there are hints in the section on Mahler that Arnold Schoeberg would soon come and turn the musical world upside down, but then there is nothing. Like the music or not, a chapter should have been written on Schoenberg, Webern, Berg. It would fit with discussion on WWI.
If you have had some difficulties in reading this review, with its long sentences and multiple sub clauses, followed by a series of shorter sentences, then you will struggle with this book. It is written like that. Some sentences follow on. Some sentences do not. The first time I tried to read it, I gave up. It is better in short doses.
August 17, 2011
This book reminds me those magazines that have dirty gossips about movie stars in them; the ones that we grab from the shelf to look inside while standing in line to pay for the groceries. Like these paparazzi trying to get attention of masses. It is an attempt of belittling, helplessly equalizing, and proving that we all are equal and have same body parts and natural needs. And, oh! That mighty subject “SEX”!!!! “oh Wow!!! These composers were made of flesh and blood? They were not angels?????” Such a surprise….
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February 27, 2016I've only just dipped into this rather weighty tome which does an exhasutive treatment of many composers. Unlike the Jeremy Nicholas book this is not a bedtime read. It requires steely concentration but certainly delivers the information in a generous if pragmatic way.
December 12, 2012
Poor binding on my copy
November 11, 2015
This is a really well prepared book on the Composers. It is by date and area and focuses on the changes.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews