The Last Master by John Suchet
PASSION AND PAIN, the second volume of John Suchet's compelling trilogy about the life of Ludwig van Beethoven, depicts the composer at the height of his powers, famous throughout Europe, championed by wealthy patrons, sought out by other musicians, yet all the time beset by the great tragedy of his life - his deafness - and struggling to come to terms with it. The reader is there as Beethoven compares the towering works of the so-called 'heroic period', the 'Eroica' Symphony, the Fifth, the 'Pastoral' Symphony, the 'Emperor' Concerto, the 'Appassionata' Sonata, the 'Kreutzer' Sonata. We share his triumphs and frustrations; we are with him as he receives the adulation of the audience and also as he struggles alone in the middle of the night to hear the great music he is creating. We learn of the one great love of his life, the woman he refers to as his 'Eternally Beloved' - a love that both parties know is doomed. Written as a novel, though at all times strictly in accordance with the known facts, John Suchet has produced a monumental narrative, probably the most comprehensive - and certainly the most readable - account of Beethoven's life ever written.
Suchet's achievement is masterly, bringing Beethoven and the Vienna of his day convincingly to life - SUNDAY TELEGRAPHThe heart-shaking story of genius and passionate loneliness is brilliantly researched and lovingly told - MAIL ON SUNDAYThe overall effect is convincingBeethoven's music is our soul, and here is a readable and sensitive account of how this music came about. - TLSBeethoven's raison d'etre- his compositions- come to life thanks to Suchet's passionate descriptons the first performances of some of Ludwig's great works. Ideally read while listening to some of the symphonies. - BELFAST TELEGAPH
John Suchet is an award-winning television journalist and newscaster. He is now the regular presenter of the EARLY EVENING NEWS and frequently presents NEWS AT TEN.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780316642521 |
| ISBN 10 | 0316642525 |
| Title | The Last Master |
| Author | John Suchet |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Little, Brown & Company |
| Year published | 1997-11-06 |
| Number of pages | 480 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |