Matthias Henke reads from his recently published biography 'Beethoven - Chord of the World'

Henke portrays the composer as one who was as exposed to the radical upheavals of his time as he was creatively involved in shaping them by creating works in which his contemporaries saw the emergence of a new society.

Beethoven's influence has remained unbroken to this day - one need only think of Leonard Bernstein's performance of the Ninth Symphony in 1989, on the occasion of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

On the other hand, it is the author's concern to show Beethoven in his vulnerability as someone who was severely affected by illness and family conflicts, but who was also able to strike sparks from such adversities.

About the author Matthias Henke

After academic teaching and traveling years, Matthias Henke took over a professorship for historical musicology at the University of Siegen in 2008, which he held until 2019. Since then, he has been working as a research professor at the Danube University Krems within a project dealing with the composer Friedrich Cerha. Henke is a member of the advisory board of the Ernst-Krenek-Institute, the Kurt-Weill-Society and the Department of Arts and Cultural Studies of the Danube University Krems.

Among his publications are: Arnold Schönberg (dtv, 2001), Joseph Haydn (dtv, 2009), Die Sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlöser am Kreuze by Joseph Haydn (Katholisches Bibelwerk, 2017). Also as editor: Arnold Schönberg: The Princess (Hanser Kinderbuch, 2006).