Beethoven: A Memoir (2nd Ed.)

A concise memoir of Ludwig van Beethoven that traces his family origins and early musical training in Bonn, his studies and development in Vienna, and his emergence as a virtuosic pianist and improviser. It follows the onset of progressive hearing loss and its consequences for career and temperament, surveys personal attachments and guardianship disputes, and charts periods of intense creative achievement alongside financial and health difficulties. The work includes translated letters, an introductory essay, critical remarks on the piano sonatas, and a chronological catalogue of works, synthesizing prior biographies and recent research into a compact life-and-works overview for general readers.