Dialogue with Beethoven by Daniel Levy,
International Academy of Euphony, 2020
Daniel Levy has created a unique book based on a very original and unique method of dealing with Beethoven’s life: dialoguing with him.
The musician’s extraordinary existence is narrated by an internationally-renowned pianist in Beethoven’s own voice, from his own experience as a performer, in a dialogue with the culture of the time, following a thread that lets us know the essence of Beethoven’s world. Reading the pages of this book, one seems to imagine the two musicians sitting down to exchange these words, where Levy asks Beethoven about everything from his music to his life and what he thought of other musicians of his time. All this through the letters and diaries Beethoven left us.
It is a study that is the result of extensive research, revealing his innermost mysteries and outlining an unfamiliar portrait of one of the greatest composers we ever had. It enhances Beethoven’s romantic and heroic image, as well as the private and hidden aspects that make this titan both man and genius. Levy, rummaging through every corner of Beethoven’s life, sheds new light on the life of the great German musician.
From the testimonies of contemporary figures who knew Beethoven, which Levy introduces in his book, we can get to know the master, looking at various aspects of his life. In fact, the author uses the memoirs of Ries, Czerny, but also the words of other musicians and composers who came after Beethoven, such as Schumann, Liszt, Menuhin, Furtwaengler and even Tagore.
This is a book that should be read while listening to Beethoven’s music, perhaps that which emanated from the pianist Levy’s own hands through his recordings of the Sonatas, where he conveys the beauty and thought of the composer with a sublime performance of which Beethoven himself would be proud.
Levy presents the reader with an unprecedented picture of the composer and has succeeded, with this profoundly beautiful book, in drawing a unique and special portrait of one of the best-known and best-loved composers in the history of music.
The Beethoven Music Research Center www.lvbeethoven.org at the 12th Ascona Music Festival, Canton Ticino (CH)
Pianist Maestro Daniel Levy played a selection from the Nine Minuets Biamonti 290, harmonized by Graziano Denini.
