An esteemed music historian provides a rich, detailed overview of the life of Ludwig van Beethoven, traveling from Enlightenment-era Bonn to the musical capital of Europe, Vienna, to vividly describe the composer's career, ill health and romantic rejections.

Bonn, electorate of Cologne -- Father, mother, son -- Reason and revolution -- Loved in turn -- Golden age -- A journey and a death -- Bildung -- Stem and book -- Unreal city -- Chains of craftsmanship -- Generalissimo -- Virtuoso -- Fate's hammer -- The good, the beautiful, and the melancholy -- The new path -- Oh, fellow men -- Heaven and Earth will tremble -- Geschrieben auf Bonaparte -- Our hearts were stirred -- That haughty beauty -- Schemes -- Darkness to light -- Thus be enabled to create -- Myths and men -- My angel, my self -- We finite beings -- The queen of the night -- What is difficult -- The sky above, the law within -- Qui venit in nomine Domini -- You millions -- Ars longa, vita brevis -- Plaudite, amici -- Appendix.