Beethoven: The String Quartets - Softcover

Vernon, David

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1739659929 ISBN 13: 9781739659929

Publisher: Candle Row Press, 2023

Synopsis

'Authoritative ... [brings] the music vividly to life with colourful scenarios and often amusing turns of phrase ... a thoroughly accessible, enlightening and entertaining guide to these pinnacles of the repertoire ... insights that will enhance readers’ understanding and enjoyment when listening to, or participating in, their performance.' — The Strad

'Wonderful … driven by deep love and an infectious sense of wonder … a different kind of Beethoven book.' — Strings

'[An] extraordinary and exciting book' — John Simpson, BBC News

'Love for this music shines through on every page – if you or someone you know is a Beethoven fan, this is the book for them.' — Dr Leah Broad, author of Quartet: How Four Women Changed the Musical World

'This is a lively, intelligent and, above all, fun introduction to some of the greatest music ever written and I very much hope it lures readers into listening to that music who might otherwise have been deterred by its monumental reputation.' — MusicWeb International

'[A] fantastic book ... easy to read and follow, yet deep enough for experienced music lovers. [...] Each quartet receives its own chapter and each starts with a short journey in time to reveal the historical and cultural background of the piece. The music itself is analyzed movement by movement, but these are not technical descriptions with musical jargon. Like a guide, rather, these are insightful narrations, often very funny and always properly connecting to the music.' — Popular Beethoven

'Erudite without being pretentious, learned without being dustily academic, philosophical without being obfuscatory, David Vernon’s wonderful book, Beethoven: The String Quartets, whirls the reader through Beethoven’s sixteen string quartets, locating them in every possible context — social, political, religious, historical, contemporary — as well as rigorously exploring their relationship to the rest of Beethoven’s oeuvre. Vernon comes across as a polymath, an intellectual and a man of culture. That he also demonstrates wit, warmth and humanity is the icing on the cake. Beethoven: The String Quartets is the kind of book that sets the gold standard for non-fiction.' — Neil Fulwood

Beethoven’s string quartets have long been held up as the pinnacle of chamber music: their fertility, complexity, depth and range mark them out as amongst the greatest of all musical creations. Yet they are also elusive, slippery works of art.

In his new book, David Vernon – author of Disturbing the Universe: Wagner’s Musikdrama and Beauty and Sadness: Mahler’s 11 Symphonies – explores these exquisite and challenging pieces, probing their integrity and individuality while also placing the quartets within the context of Beethoven’s life and other music, especially his symphonies and piano sonatas.

A chapter is devoted to each work, with an in-depth essay followed by detailed movement-by-movement guides, revealing where they came from, how they are put together – and why they remain so relevant and celebrated today.

WITH AN AFTERWORD BY JOHN SIMPSON

Edition details

• Publisher: Candle Row Press
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1739659929
• ISBN 13: 9781739659929
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 440