This is an exploration of the unswerving artistic vision underlying Beethoven’s symphonies, from one of the world’s leading scholars of the composer’s works. Lewis Lockwood’s absorbing new study of the works makes the case that this music is about a lot more than the notes on the page. From a trove of Beethoven sketchbooks, Lewis Lockwood draws us into the composer’s mind, unveiling a creative process of astonishing scope and originality. "Beethoven wanted something else. He sought to move the audience’s soul, not just please it with musical effects. He wanted the symphony to become a cathartic listening experience and a force for change."  - New York Review of Books. "Lockwood has given music lovers a great gift. By looking at the historical context - who listened to Beethoven, what he read - and how the symphonies were planned, the reader gets a unique view of the creative process of one of our greatest musical minds." - Yo-Yo Ma