»Joyful, joyful, we adore thee«: a love letter to classical music

Many of Beethoven’s melodies have become evergreens: For Elise can be heard on cell phones, The Moonlight Sonata in hotel bars. Eroica or Appassionata is in the background of television commercials, The Arietta sends shivers down our spines, and Beethoven’s Ninth gives acts of state seriousness and dignity.

Eleonore Büning is one of the most renowned music critics in Germany. She guides the reader passionately and competently through the world of Beethoven. His compositions have always polarized and touched the listener emotionally. Even today, we continue to be inspired by his music time and again.
In her book, the author shows where the traces of his musical genius can be found today. In an inspiring and knowledgeable way, she lets the reader participate in the life and work of the composer and has only one thing in her Mind: to inspire people to listen to Ludwig van Beethoven, to seduce them to his music.

»It [the book] reveals the fascinating interconnections between Beethoven’s life and his works, and between the early and late pieces.«
ANNE-SOPHIE MUTTER in an interview with THE DAILY THELEGRAPH

»[She] is the great Büning because she is still a real old-school critic with her own opinion, her own language and a lot of rich, Reich-Ranicki-esque self-confidence […]«
MAXIM BILLER IN THE MAGAZINE ZEIT