Beethoven: His Spiritual Development

by J.W.N. Sullivan

Book Overview

From the Author's Preface:

I believe that in his greatest music Beethoven was primarily concerned to express his personal vision of life. This vision was, of course, the product of his character and his experience. Beethoven the man and Beethoven the composer are not two unconnected entities, and the known history of the man may be used to throw light upon the character of his music.

Clifton Fadiman has said of this classic study:

It...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394701003
• ISBN13: 9780394701004
• Release Date: February 1960
• Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 4.0" x 7.6"

Customer Reviews

Philosopher Prof number 2. Maybe we all like Beethoven?

This is not going to get many postive feedbacks.. HOWEVER.. this is just a note to say THIS REALLY and truly is a BRILLIANT BOOK.... and for anyone wanting to dive straight into the deep end as to what Beethoven and ART and Classical Music par se is and the mind of a composer and the struggle of a life between Art, creativity, God and love and genius is all about this is the one book to get. Yet, surprisingly not only all made very understandable but then clarity and inspiration and feel good factor was never made so good in a book on a composer, also made so enjoyable. A true and real learning journey in this book.Priceless. I felt myself on tour with the writer and the works and mind of life of Beethoven as though the man was his art and his work. Out of MUCH self taught reading on classical music. This book truly remains my ALL TIME FAVOURITE book about any single composer. Supremely well written and written with clarity and passages I underlined endlessly. It is one of those books. Just well researched, well written and written about from angles and insights that you really DID want to know and not written anywhere else and never realised you did want to know and it is a real journey. If you feel a journey with Beethoven`s music this is the best book ever written to get into his mind , and his art and the music and his life as one.... A real cherished classic. I hate the phrase. This book is one of 20-30 that I look back really does come under the heading "life changer" and can give a truer real insight into the mind of genius and ART in capital letters and an artist`s intention and the working of a mind and spirit..and it explains the music so well in relation to his life and genius. A seriously great gem , where every page is a page turning inspiration and delight. Seriously 5+ Not a normal book. Exceedingly well done... This book is special. Class of it`s own and essential reading on Beethoven. Trust me. And write your own review. I challenge anyone not to adore this book and give it a 5 having read it. I`m serious. Think about it compared to all the others on Beethoven and dull ill written biographies and over detailed stuff. This book really hits the spot and is very very well writen in style and content and theme and insight....and is concise. : ) I.e not only readable but also exciting and a a book to learn from not just factually but with real thinking and a journey and highly enjoyable read. The world it takes one too to the mind of the composer and the music and the journey it takes one too is first class. A really enjoyable mind expanding insight. Seriously good. i.e Great.

Beethoven's Deeper Thoughts

Sullivan's book has remained in print for over 70 years, despite not being a definitive source book for facts about Beethoven's life and work. Sullivan's achievement is different. Sullivan wrote one of the very few biographies, about Beethoven or anybody else, that captures and understands the level of "depth of life" that results from identifying one's life with the search for the meaning of life and of the universe, if there is any such meaning. Beethoven lived on this level and the particular path Beethoveen pursued and expressed in his music is uniquely understood by Sullivan. This biography is a masterpiece in its own right.

insightful and informative

I recommend the book not only for its intertwined information about the composer's life and works, but for its demonstration of Beethoven's inward evolution. My one criticism is that the author tends to see in some of Beethoven's clearly neurotic behavior (e.g., his obsession with his nephew; his incredible personal messiness; his narcissistic rages at certain colleagues) an overabundance of some sort of energy--which may indeed be the case at a very deep level, but hey, misbehavior is misbehavior. Nevertheless, an excellent Beethoven resource.

A Book I Have Read Several Times

Sullivan was a mathematician, scientist and philosopher, but music had a high priority in his life. And Beethoven was at the top of his list of greats. He says: "Perhaps even Shakespeare never reached that final stage of illumination that is expressed in some of Beethoven's late music."As the title says, this is not a biography so much as a description of Beethoven's "spiritual development. If you love Beethoven. You must read this book.And you might ask yourself the question: Why has this book remained in print for 73 years?

Essential Reading

This book is essential reading for all who appreciate Beethoven's music. It would be futile to try and review it here; indeed, the book needs no review. It will be appreciated by all who know, after listening to Beethoven, that this is not merely music for entertainment, but music that uplifts, in the very real sense of the word.