From Library Journal
For 20 years, Solomon's Beethoven has served scholars and lay readers as one of the most enlightening studies of the life and works of this fascinating composer. Justly praised for his thoroughness, honesty, and insight in presenting the many facets of a complex artist, Solomon approaches his subject from myriad different angles - historical, psychological, sociological, and aesthetic - to treat the reader to a view of Beethoven, his music, and his era that answers long-standing questions and reveals new ways of considering the composer, his works, and his motivation. In this revision, Solomon retains all the freshness of the first edition while incorporating the enormous amount of research published on Beethoven since the initial 1977 printing. Solomon's book should continue to engage readers for the next several decades.

----- Timothy J. McGee, Univ. of Toronto

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