Beethoven?s Pastoral Symphony is in many ways his most startlingly original symphony. It has a programmatic content, it is in five movements rather than the normal four, and its mood is quite different from the usual barnstorming image of the composer. Why did he want to compose such a work? Why did[...]

Presenting a fresh picture of Haydn's life and work, this biography captures all the complexities and contradictions of the composer's long career.[...]