A selection of biographies written by experts and specialists for each composer. Each book providing an insight into the extraordinary lives of these great composers.

In this, the fifth biography in our ‘Extraordinary Lives’ series, Beethoven expert Professor Barry Cooper provides a fascinating and compact summary of the key moments in Beethoven’s life. In exploring crucial documents, Cooper provides fresh insights into Beethoven’s personality and motivations whilst challenging much of the prevalent ‘mythology’ that surrounds him.

The Extraordinary Life series includes biographies for Bach, Elgar, Mozart, Purcell and Britten. Each book has been researched and written by leading specialists, providing revealing accounts of the lives of these extraordinary composers. The collection dispels myths, provides a social setting for their respective work, and produces a human and believable portrait of each composer. Anyone interested in these great composers will find these fascinating and readable histories.