The Heroic Symphony

Rating:
Summary: A TREASURE FOR YOUNG READERS
Review: The author, an associate professor at Michigan State University, has already educated and entertained young readers with the lives of two composers in "The Farewell Symphony" and "Pictures At An Exhibition." When paired with rousing watercolor and ink illustrations by JoAnn Kitchel, both of those books are small treasures, as is "The Heroic Symphony," which relates the life of Beethoven.

As the story opens Beethoven has it all - fame, fortune, and the ability to play the piano better than anyone in all of Europe. However, the music lovers who flocked to hear him have no idea that he is slowly losing his hearing. Desperate, hoping for a cure in the spring of 1802 Beethoven fled to a remote clinic.. But there was no help for him.

As Beethoven despaired a melody began to fill his mind, and he realized that if he could no longer play the piano he could compose. He knew that he wanted to write music that would not only entertain but would also inspire, so he searched for inspiration. One name came to him - a war hero, Napoleon Bonaparte.

Later, upon learning that his hero, Bonaparte, had crowned himself Emperor of France Beethoven attempted to destroy his months of work, but was stopped by a close friend. At length Beethoven scratched the name Bonaparte from his manuscript and wrote a new title, "The Heroic Symphony."

A CD recording of Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 ("Eroica" is included. It is performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Sir Georg Solti.

- Gail Cooke

Rating:
Summary: A TREASURE FOR YOUNG READERS
Review: The author, an associate professor at Michigan State University, has already educated and entertained young readers with the lives of two composers in "The Farewell Symphony" and "Pictures At An Exhibition." When paired with rousing watercolor and ink illustrations by JoAnn Kitchel, both of those books are small treasures, as is "The Heroic Symphony," which relates the life of Beethoven.

As the story opens Beethoven has it all - fame, fortune, and the ability to play the piano better than anyone in all of Europe. However, the music lovers who flocked to hear him have no idea that he is slowly losing his hearing. Desperate, hoping for a cure in the spring of 1802 Beethoven fled to a remote clinic.. But there was no help for him.

As Beethoven despaired a melody began to fill his mind, and he realized that if he could no longer play the piano he could compose. He knew that he wanted to write music that would not only entertain but would also inspire, so he searched for inspiration. One name came to him - a war hero, Napoleon Bonaparte.

Later, upon learning that his hero, Bonaparte, had crowned himself Emperor of France Beethoven attempted to destroy his months of work, but was stopped by a close friend. At length Beethoven scratched the name Bonaparte from his manuscript and wrote a new title, "The Heroic Symphony."

A CD recording of Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 ("Eroica" is included. It is performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Sir Georg Solti.

- Gail Cooke