# "Must-have" composer biographies



## humanbean (Mar 5, 2011)

I recently purchased the book "Beethoven" by Barry Cooper, and while it does cover a lot of his life, personality, etc. it focuses a bit too much on analysis of of his work. While that may be ideal for someone who has listened to every work he created, I was looking for more of a focus on the personal aspects of the composer.

So, which biographical books do you recommend that are a good balance between both the "life of" and works of a composer? (preferably Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Mendelssohn or Haydn, but I will settle with any composer if the book is good enough)


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

That's precisely the book I was gonna say so I guess I'll have to look out for some other suggestions I can use myself


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## Meaghan (Jul 31, 2010)

Maynard Solomon's _Beethoven_ is a good account of his life and is highly acclaimed. Solomon also wrote a comparable biography of Mozart.

Henry Louis de La Grange's enormous multi-volume Mahler biography is unequaled as a source of detailed information on Mahler's life, but it's ridiculously huge enough that it should probably only be attempted by a Mahler nut.


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## crmoorhead (Apr 6, 2011)

I am reading a book on Chopin by Adam Zamoysky. It is certainly interesting and has excellent reviews. The author is also a Pole and it is his second biography on Chopin. I find him a fascinating character. Franz Liszt also wrote a biography of Chopin and though it is prob not unbiased it is available free on Project Gutenberg.

Next on my list is the Faber Pocket Guide to Bach - sometimes I am dubious of books with the title 'pocket guide to...' but this one seems to fit what I want and is just over 500 pages long. There is a whole series of these books (Including a Pocket Guide to Haydn at 400 pages) of which a few appeal to me. I would suspect, however, that there will be quite a bit on the music in these guides. That suits me very well, though it may not be what you are looking for.


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## Meaghan (Jul 31, 2010)

crmoorhead said:


> Franz Liszt also wrote a biography of Chopin and though it is prob not unbiased it is available free on Project Gutenberg.


Liszt and Chopin:
http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=302
^This is funny, read it.


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

Meaghan said:


> Liszt and Chopin:
> http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=302
> ^This is funny, read it.


Hahahaha! That was hilarious!   Particularly Razzle Dazzle


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## crmoorhead (Apr 6, 2011)

LOL, love it! I'm glad I am not the only person who associates Liszt and Jerry lee Lewis! Before i got into classical music, my main speciality was the music of 50s artists like Jerry Lee Lewis, Gene Vincent and Chuck Berry. Somehow I was naturally drawn to the showmanship and flair of Liszt!


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

Jan Swafford's Brahms is one of the best biographies I've ever read, musical or otherwise, and reading biographies is a hobby of mine. Read it, you won't regret it.


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## pjang23 (Oct 8, 2009)

World Violist said:


> Jan Swafford's Brahms is one of the best biographies I've ever read, musical or otherwise, and reading biographies is a hobby of mine. Read it, you won't regret it.


Seconded. :tiphat:


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

You could look for the biography of Beethoven, based on his letters and those of his contemporaries; that of Moscheles, based on his journal; and the autobiography of Schnabel. The title of Schnabel's is _not_ 'My Life and Hard Times'.


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## eorrific (May 14, 2011)

Meaghan said:


> Liszt and Chopin:
> http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=302
> ^This is funny, read it.


Razzle Dazzle and The Later Years are hilarious! :lol:
And also Liszt's face on the last panel of For King and Country is simply priceless.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

_Handel_ (1996), Donald Burrows; Oxford University Press.


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## Guest (Jun 19, 2011)

Jacques Barzun, _Berlioz and the Romantic Century_

As you can guess from the title, this is much larger than a biography of Berlioz. But you never feel shortchanged. For Barzun, Berlioz was the great exemplar of the century, so it all works out very well.

Interesting ideas about the word "Romantic," too, which will surprise anyone who reads this, I'm sure. And interesting ideas about "program music" as well, which correct facile (and false) conclusions about what Berlioz was really up to.

Plus, it's by one of the premiere prose stylists of the twentieth century (and almost completely free of most of Barzun's troublesome prejudices--I add this remark, because I know there are people who have read some Barzun who wouldn't want to have anything further to do with him), so can't be bad!

(David Cairns' relatively recent biography has a lot of material that was not available to Barzun, but Cairns' volumes are not nearly as readable. In fact, I gave up, myself.)


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