Lewis Lockwood, one of the world's leading experts on Beethoven, pays tribute to the most influential composer in modern music history in a significant biography that was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 2003. Lockwood paints a detailed picture of the composer's life and work. He traces Beethoven's musical development, examines the conditions under which he created, sheds light on their historical, political, and cultural contexts, and offers many fundamental insights into his music even for non-specialists through his analyses of Beethoven's major works. Each chapter begins with a brief overview of the key events in Beethoven's life before presenting the music of the respective period in detail, referencing sketchbooks and manuscripts. A new, comprehensive perspective on the phenomenon.