Masters of Music: Beethoven and the Classical Age

When young Beethoven first arrived in Vienna in the early 1790s, the city was a world cultural capital, and its music was enjoying a golden age. Vienna was filled with composers, but the two most influential were Franz Josef Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who together were instrumental in creating what the world now calls music's Classical Age. Mozart died just before Beethoven's arrival in the city, but both his music and Haydn's became profound influences on Beethoven's own compositions. Here, in words and pictures, is an absorbing look into the life, work, and times of Beethoven and his contemporaries. Explored in detail is the make-up of orchestras of that day, as well as the compositions that made Beethoven immortal. They include nine sym-phonies, five piano concertos, 32 piano sonatas, a wealth of chamber music, and the great opera, Fidelio. Young readers who follow this fascinating musical adventure will gain an understanding of the many facets of Beethoven's artistic genius.

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A genius whose works revolutionized European music, Beethoven was born in the Rhineland city of Bonn in 1770. He showed unusual musical talent as a child, and though his family was poor, he developed his skills under the guidance of Count von Waldstein, a local nobleman. When he was in his early twenties, Beethoven moved to Vienna, were he studied briefly with the classical master Franz Josef Haydn, then rapidly made his own mark with the composition of piano sonatas, chamber music, symphonies, concertos, and other memorable works. Although composing within the classical tradition, Beethoven put his own original, deeply personal mark on his compositions, creating music that remains as powerful today as it was when it was first written.

Beethoven and the Classical Age

This book explores the musical world of Beethoven in words and full-color illustrations. A two-page spread shows and explains the mechanics and design of the piano as it was constructed during Beethoven's lifetime. Readers are also introduced to Viennese life in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and to that city's position as the world's music capital. Concluding this volume are sketches of composers who have been influenced by Beethoven, including Schubert, Schumann, and Weber.