Beethoven and His World (The Bard Music Festival Book 48)

Few composers even begin to approach Beethoven's pervasive presence in modern Western culture, from the concert hall to the comic strip. Edited by a cultural historian and a music theorist, __Beethoven and His World__ gathers eminent scholars from several disciplines who collectively speak to the range of Beethoven's importance and of our perennial fascination with him. The contributors address Beethoven's musical works and their cultural contexts. Reinhold Brinkmann explores the post-revolutionary context of Beethoven's "Eroica" Symphony, while Lewis Lockwood establishes a typology of heroism in works like Fidelio. Elaine Sisman, Nicholas Marston, and Glenn Stanley discuss issues of temporality, memory, and voice in works at the threshold of Beethoven's late style, such as __An die Ferne Geliebte__, the Cello Sonata op. 102, no. 1, and the somewhat later Piano Sonata op. 109. Peering behind the scenes into Beethoven's workshop, Tilman Skowroneck explains how the young Beethoven chose his pianos, and William Kinderman shows Beethoven in the process of sketching and revising his compositions. The volume concludes with four essays engaging the broader question of reception of Beethoven's impact on his world and ours. Christopher Gibbs' study of Beethoven's funeral and its aftermath features documentary material appearing in English for the first time; art historian Alessandra Comini offers an illustrated discussion of Beethoven's ubiquitous and iconic frown; Sanna Pederson takes up the theme of masculinity in critical representations of Beethoven; and Leon Botstein examines the aesthetics and politics of hearing extramusical narratives and plots in Beethoven's music. Bringing together varied and fresh approaches to the West's most celebrated composer, this collection of essays provides music lovers with an enriched understanding of Beethoven--as man, musician, and phenomenon.

Few composers even begin to approach Beethoven's pervasivepresence in modern Western culture, from the concert hall to thecomic strip. Edited by a cultural historian and a music theorist,Beethoven and His World gathers eminent scholars fromseveral disciplines who collectively speak to the range ofBeethoven's importance and of our perennial fascination with him.The contributors address Beethoven's musical works and theircultural contexts. Reinhold Brinkmann explores thepost-revolutionary context of Beethoven's "Eroica" Symphony, whileLewis Lockwood establishes a typology of heroism in works likeFidelio. Elaine Sisman, Nicholas Marston, and Glenn Stanley discussissues of temporality, memory, and voice in works at the thresholdof Beethoven's late style, such as An die Ferne Geliebte,the Cello Sonata op. 102, no. 1, and the somewhat later PianoSonata op. 109. Peering behind the scenes into Beethoven'sworkshop, Tilman Skowroneck explains how the young Beethoven chosehis pianos, and William Kinderman shows Beethoven in the process ofsketching and revising his compositions. The volume concludes withfour essays engaging the broader question of reception ofBeethoven's impact on his world and ours. Christopher Gibbs' studyof Beethoven's funeral and its aftermath features documentarymaterial appearing in English for the first time; art historianAlessandra Comini offers an illustrated discussion of Beethoven'subiquitous and iconic frown; Sanna Pederson takes up the theme ofmasculinity in critical representations of Beethoven; and LeonBotstein examines the aesthetics and politics of hearingextramusical narratives and plots in Beethoven's music. Bringingtogether varied and fresh approaches to the West's most celebratedcomposer, this collection of essays provides music lovers with anenriched understanding of Beethoven--as man, musician, andphenomenon.

Few composers even begin to approach Beethoven's pervasive presence in modern Western culture, from the concert hall to the comic strip. Edited by a cultural historian and a music theorist, this book gathers eminent scholars from several disciplines who collectively speak to the range of Beethoven's importance and of our perennial fascination with him. The contributors address Beethoven's musical works and their cultural contexts. Reinhold Brinkmann explores the post-revolutionary context of Beethoven's "Eroica" Symphony, while Lewis Lockwood establishes a typology of heroism in works like Fidelio. Elaine Sisman, Nicholas Marston, and Glenn Stanley discuss issues of temporality, memory, and voice in works at the threshold of Beethoven's late style, such as An die Ferne Geliebte, the Cello Sonata op. 102, no. 1, and the somewhat later Piano Sonata op. 109. Peering behind the scenes into Beethoven's workshop, Tilman Skowroneck explains how the young Beethoven chose his pianos, and William Kinderman shows Beethoven in the process of sketching and revising his compositions. The volume concludes with four essays engaging the broader question of reception of Beethoven's impact on his world and ours. Christopher Gibbs' study of Beethoven's funeral and its aftermath features documentary material appearing in English for the first time; art historian Alessandra Comini offers an illustrated discussion of Beethoven's ubiquitous and iconic frown; Sanna Pederson takes up the theme of masculinity in critical representations of Beethoven; and Leon Botstein examines the aesthetics and politics of hearing extramusical narratives and plots in Beethoven's music. Bringing together varied and fresh approaches to the West's most celebrated composer, this collection of essays provides music lovers with an enriched understanding of Beethoven as man, musician, and phenomenon Heroic Beethoven. In the time(s) of the "Eroica" / Reinhold Brinkmann ; translated by Irene Zedlacher ; Beethoven, Florestan, and the varieties of heroism / Lewis Lockwood Late Beethoven. Memory and invention at the threshold of Beethoven's late style / Elaine Sisman ; Voices and their rhythms in the first movement of Beethoven's piano sonata op. 109 : some thoughts on the performance and analysis of a late-style work / Glenn Stanley ; Voicing Beethoven's distant beloved / Nicholas Marston Beethoven in the workshop. Keyboard instruments of the young Beethoven / Tilman Skowroneck ; Contrast and continuity in Beethoven's creative process / William Kinderman Beethoven in the world. Performances of grief : Vienna's response to the death of Beethoven / Christopher Gibbs ; The visual Beethoven : whence, why, and whither the scowl? / Alessandra Comini ; Beethoven and masculinity / Sanna Pederson ; The search for meaning in Beethoven : popularity, intimacy, and politics in historical perspective / Leon Botstein Few composers even begin to approach Beethoven's pervasive presence in modern Western culture, from the concert hall to the comic strip. This work gathers scholars from across several disciplines who speak to the range of Beethoven's importance and of our perennial fascination with him. At last, in France in the years 1788 and 1789, the volcanic movement broke forth whose fiery and bloody convulsions are yet to be subdued.