Why Beethoven

Norman Lebrecht

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Beethoven's life and legacy in 100 recordings

Without Beethoven, music as we know it wouldn't exist. Who was this titan of world culture?

'You want to build a Beethoven library? There can be no better starting point... Brilliant.' John Suchet, Classic FM presenter

Through 100 recordings, Lebrecht brings to life the composer as we've never seen him before. Unruly, offensive and hopeless in so much of his life, yes, but driven to a fault and devoted to his art, conquering deafness to compose some of the towering works of our culture.

Along the way, we encounter the great musicians who have taken on the challenge of Beethoven, in all their glories and foibles. In this revealing, unique biography, Beethoven emerges as a cornerstone of the modern world.

All recordings are freely available on Idagio and YouTube.

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