Beethoven Variations: Poems on a Life

This collection follows in the footsteps of one of the world's greatest composers, Beethoven, and investigates what his life and music might mean to us today. 250 years since Beethoven was born, Ruth Padel goes on a personal search for him, retracing his steps through war-torn Europe of the early 19th century, delving into his music, letters, diaries and the conversation books he used when deaf, to uncover the man behind the legend. Her quest, exploring the life of one of the most creative artists who ever lived, turns more personal than she expects, taking her into the sources of her own creativity and musicality.