This special edition marks the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth and includes a new section featuring a detailed guide of his most important compositions, his family tree and timeline.

John reveals the difficult and complex man behind the music – how he struggles to continue his profession despite increasing deafness, how he alienates friends with unprovoked outbursts of anger one moment and overwhelms them with excessive kindness and generosity the next. And all the while his city submits to the chaos of war with France.

This is the real Beethoven, brought to live by John faithfully and vividly.