作者：阿多諾(Theodor W. Adorno)

阿多諾(Theodor W. Adorno, 1903-1969)，德國哲學家、社會學家、美學家、音樂學家、作曲家，「法蘭克福學派」主要成員，在上述各領域影響深遠，著有《啟蒙辯證法》、《現代音樂的哲學》、《多稜鏡：文化批判與社會》、《否定的辯證法》、《美學理論》。

譯者：彭淮棟

新竹縣竹東鎮人，東海大學外文系畢業，台灣大學外文研究所肄業，曾任出版公司編輯，現任報紙編譯。譯有《後殖民理論》、《意義》、《俄國思想家》、《自由主義之後》、《西方政治思想史》（麥克里蘭）、《鄉關何處》、《現實意義》、《美的歷史》、《醜的歷史》、《貝多芬：阿多諾的音樂哲學》、《音樂的極境：薩依德音樂評論集》、《論晚期風格：反常合道的音樂與文學》等書。

Beethoven is a classic study of the composer's music, written by one of the most important thinkers of our time. Throughout his life, Adorno wrote extensive notes, essay fragments and aides-memoires on the subject of Beethoven's music. This book brings together all of Beethoven's music in relation to the society in which he lived. Adorno identifies three periods in Beethoven's work, arguing that the thematic unity of the first and second periods begins to break down in the third. Adorno follows this progressive disintegration of organic unity in the classical music of Beethoven and his contemporaries, linking it with the rationality and monopolistic nature of modern society. Beethoven will be welcomed by students and researchers in a wide range of disciplines - philosophy, sociology, music and history - and by anyone interested in the life of the composer.