Beethoven biographies

[Luis]

Well, I’m about to finish my exams and I’m now willing to finally read a good B biography, any suggestions? Thayer? Solomon? What about these ones? Any others?

Please keep in mind that although I might be interested in some lightweight music analysis, I’m not a musician myself and my only musical formation comes from one year of electric guitar playing looong time ago.
Anyway, I do wish to find some info on the ‘meaning’ of B's different works coming for example from his sketchbooks, notes, letters, or conversational books.

regards, Luis

[This message has been edited by Luis (edited 11-19-2000).]

[Serge]

Luis, you should read Solomon's "Beethoven" It was recently revised and it is a very good read. Provides more emotional and personal background on Beethoven than any other bio I've read, and it puts Beethoven in an entirely new light. A beautiful book.

[Peter]

Try this site Luis, some of the books listed certainly are not light-weight, but there might be something there to interest you, including the Maynard Solomon.
http://www.bu.edu/news/releases/2000...enfestbios.htm

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'Man know thyself'

[Rod]

Originally posted by Luis:
Well, I’m about to finish my exams and I’m now willing to finally read a good B biography, any suggestions? Thayer? Solomon? What about these ones? Any others?

Please keep in mind that although I might be interested in some lightweight music analysis, I’m not a musician myself and my only musical formation comes from one year of electric guitar playing looong time ago.
Anyway, I do wish to find some info on the ‘meaning’ of B's different works coming for example from his sketchbooks, notes, letters, or conversational books.

regards, Luis

[This message has been edited by Luis (edited 11-19-2000).]

The most comprehensive biography is Thayer/Forbes, but it is beggining to show its age a little now and could do with a further update. Still, it's the one to chose for it's level headedness and detail, though there is almost no musical analysis whatsoever. In my opinion Solomon is ok, but not the supreme effort that it's made out to be. Believe it or not, Schindler's 1860 biography is also extremely interesting (errors being corrected by the editor) just for the numerous appendices, have a look at it.

Rod

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Luis]

Thanks for the recommendations! I’ve ordered Solomon’s on Amazon, Thayer’s second vol. was out of stock and I’m interested in some psychological analysis on B, although I’ve read some of S’s contributions on this point were a bit venturous. Anyway I have you to ask on this and other matters when I receive the book.

[Serge]

I do hope you enjoy Solomon. A few of his ideas are indeed venturesome, but he backs them up with as much evidence as could reasonably be expected. His are very convincing arguments. Let me know how you like it.