We have long regarded Beethoven as a great composer, but we rarely appreciate that he was also an eminently political artist. This book unveils the role of politics in his oeuvre, elucidating how the inherently political nature of Beethoven’s music explains its power and endurance. William Kinderman presents Beethoven as a civically engaged thinker faced with severe challenges. The composer lived through many tumultuous events—the French Revolution, the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte, and the Congress of Vienna among them. Previous studies of Beethoven have emphasized the importance of his personal suffering and inner struggles; Kinderman instead establishes that musical tensions in works such as the Eroica , the Appassionata , and his final piano sonata in C minor reflect Beethoven’s attitudes toward the political turbulence of the era. Written for the 250th anniversary of his birth, Beethoven takes stock of the composer’s legacy, showing how his idealism and zeal for resistance have ensured that masterpieces such as the Ninth Symphony continue to inspire activists around the globe. Kinderman considers how the Fifth Symphony helped galvanize resistance to fascism, how the Sixth has energized the environmental movement, and how Beethoven’s civic engagement continues to inspire in politically perilous times. Uncertain times call for ardent responses, and, as Kinderman convincingly affirms, Beethoven’s music is more relevant today than ever before. “Kinderman’s study shows how the great composer maneuvered in times much like our Trumpian own. . . . Hardly a page goes by in [this] superbly written book without offering an unexpected reason to care about Beethoven.” -- Mark Swed ― Los Angeles Times “William Kinderman, in Beethoven: A Political Artist in Revolutionary Times , reinforces the picture of a fundamentally liberal-minded artist, and gives a telling portrait of the composer.” -- Alex Ross ― The New Yorker "Kinderman focuses on Beethoven’s lifelong belief in freedom and progress as universal ideals that found expression in his music in all periods of his life in ways that continue to resonate to the present day. . . . The book makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of Beethoven as a politically engaged artist and reveals politics to be a vital context for some of his most important works." -- Erica Buurman ― Early Music America “Drawing on letters, sketchbooks, manuscripts, and abundant scholarship, concert pianist and music scholar Kinderman argues convincingly that Beethoven (1770-1827) was 'far from indifferent' to political events that roiled Europe during his lifetime. Offering minutely close exegeses of Beethoven’s works. . . . Kinderman shows how the composer responded to the 'tensions and contradictions' of the time.” ― Kirkus Reviews "Pianist and composer Kinderman adds to his shelf of well-regarded contributions to the Beethoven literature with this appealing title focusing on how the political and philosophical movements of the late 1700s to early 1800s influenced the composer’s creative development. . . . Kinderman’s exhaustive scholarship and fluid style combine with up-to-date references to issues such as systemic repression and other provocative topics, which should resonate with both academics and informed general readers." ― Library Journal “William Kinderman, known for his prolific writing on many aspects of Beethoven’s oeuvre, explores in his most recent book, published in the bicentenary year, how a richer grasp of historical and political contexts may enhance our understanding of the meanings, and continued significance of Beethoven’s music. . . . Impressive cross-referencing of political, historical, aesthetic, literary, genetic and analytical studies gives this book a unique quality, that illuminates and connects past and present. . . . This compact, richly impressive volume aspires to a universality worthy of Beethoven himself.” -- Malcolm Miller ― Ad Parnassum “At a time when citizen involvement in politics is crucial,  Beethoven: A Political Artist in Revolutionary Times  presents a broader, more socially relevant vision of political activity. Both professionals and laypersons can appreciate Kinderman’s convincing demonstration that Beethoven’s politics involved not just heroes, fanfares and funeral marches, but also his ideals, performance practice, social relations, and even wit and humour.” -- Rose Mauro ― Nineteenth-Century Music Review "Written for his 250th anniversary, this biography presents the great composer as a civically engaged thinker, living through tumultuous times, and shows how his music continues to inspire activists around the world to this day." ― The Bookseller "After reading Kinderman, considering Beethoven's music in the same old ways will be impossible. . . . Essential." ― Choice Connect “Kinderman has written a fresh and fascinating book packed with intriguing thoughts and unexpected alignments about h