William Kinderman

"Ludwig van Beethoven entered university the year that the French Revolution broke out. He went on to live through the Reign of Terror, the rise and fall of Napoleon, the battles of Wagram and Leipzig, and the era of political repression following the Congress of Vienna. Interpretations of Beethoven's music have tended to emphasize the composer's personal suffering and inner struggles over the political resonance of his work. Yet, as William Kinderman's...