In his introduction to the world of Beethoven's nine symphonies, Martin Geck, the 'doyen of musicology' (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), combines analysis with interpretation and offers surprising new insights into the landscape of Beethoven's ideas. The years between 1800 and 1824 are not defined as a special era in any history book, but in music they mark the beginning of a new era: with his nine symphonies Beethoven can claim to have re-made the world through the medium of his art. This involves not only pathos and grandeur, but also moments of tenderness and contemplation.

Autorentext
Martin Geck lehrte als emeritierter Professor für Musikgeschichte und ästhetik an der Technischen Universität Dortmund. Seine in ein Dutzend Sprachen übersetzten Bücher widmen sich der deutschen Musik des 17. bis 19. Jahrhunderts. Bekannt sind seine Würdigungen Bachs, Mozarts, Beethovens, Schumanns und Wagners sowie seine Musikgeschichte des 19. Jahrhunderts, die unter dem Titel 'Von Beethoven bis Mahler' erschienen ist. **** Martin Geck was Emeritus Professor for Music History and Musical Aesthetics at the Technical University of Dortmund. His books on German music of the 17th to 19th centuries have been translated into a dozen languages. He is best known for his studies of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann and Wagner and for his history of 19th-century music entitled 'Von Beethoven bis Mahler'.