Why Beethoven: A Phenomenon in One Hundred Pieces by Norman Lebrecht (Oneworld, 2023). I wasn’t going to do this, I swear. I wasn’t going to inflict my Beethoven obsession on you yet again. I was going to read this book, leave a sentence or two about it on Goodreads, and move on with my life. But some books won’t let you do that. Some books grab hold of you and
One rewarding aspect of music is that it requires interpretation by a performer and allows each musician to interpret in her own way within the confines of the music on the page and the composer's instructions. We have been blessed with many superb musicians who have interpreted Beethoven's music. Every listener decides for himself whether he likes that individual interpretation. Doubtless Norman Lebrecht has his own measure of successful interpretation. I've read several books on Beethoven, and this looks to be worth a read, depending on the author's writing style. I particularly like the pianist Susan Tomes' writing on music, which invites one into an experience of music that may not have otherwise been accessible.
One rewarding aspect of music is that it requires interpretation by a performer and allows each musician to interpret in her own way within the confines of the music on the page and the composer's instructions. We have been blessed with many superb musicians who have interpreted Beethoven's music. Every listener decides for himself whether he likes that individual interpretation. Doubtless Norman Lebrecht has his own measure of successful interpretation. I've read several books on Beethoven, and this looks to be worth a read, depending on the author's writing style. I particularly like the pianist Susan Tomes' writing on music, which invites one into an experience of music that may not have otherwise been accessible.