Unquiet: My Life with Beethoven

Words + Music, Vol. 11

By: Jonathan Biss

Narrated by: Jonathan Biss

“Beethoven is a humanist, and an arsonist.”

In his vivid and profound addition to Audible’s Words + Music series, Jonathan Biss, the world renowned pianist and critical Beethoven interpreter of our time, expounds on the spellbinding hold the classical figure and his work possesses over him. Biss doesn’t just love Beethoven more than other music, he loves it more than most things. It’s the lens through which he understands the world, and has been since he can remember. But in Unquiet, Biss reveals the full extent to which Beethoven is also a ruthless lens through which he views himself.

Biss provides listeners front and center access to his long overdue confrontation with a painful truth: Living with Beethoven has essentially amounted to severing all meaningful ties with himself. As we learn in rich detail, amidst the treasures Beethoven’s music has gifted Biss also lies searing self-doubt and heaps of crippling anxiety. Biss’ raw self-reflection is delivered through pitch-perfect prose, delving deep into the fascinating paradox that the greatest pleasure in his life is also responsible for imprisoning him. Beethoven’s defining personal characteristic - for example, his unwavering self-conviction and weapons-grade callousness - only served to mock Biss’s own perceived shortcomings and vulnerabilities. This captivating combination of wit and wisdom Biss readily shares is only interrupted by something even more extraordinary - his new interpretations of movements from seven of Beethoven's sonatas, including the "Pathetique" and "Tempest", and his groundbreaking, awe-inducing final sonatas.

Unquiet both begins and ends with Jonathan Biss staring down the daunting complexity and infinite majesty of Beethoven's last piano sonatas. But between these two points, the singular pianist has traversed a world of healing. An immeasurable weight has been lifted from him - by him. And we have witnessed its dramatic rise. While his journey is a fantastically unique one, if we listen close, we can hear ours, too. An endless battle to confront and quiet our greatest pain so that we can embrace something even greater. Take a moment, and heed the sound.

©2020 Jonathan Biss (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC.

Exquisite!

I just loved this. It is full of passion, emotion, and is so relatable. Plus the music is so remarkable. I found it very moving and will listen to it again and again!

Comfort

I can understand how writing and performing this helped with the anxiety brought on by our COVID isolation. Knowing Beethoven as JB does could only have helped. After all, those of us who love classical music can only be fed and nurtured by music. How I miss live concerts! I loved the excerpts that were shared here. Now where are my Beethoven CDs?

In the mind and soul of classical musician

This is an intriguing view into the mind of a classical musician. It delves into meaning and purpose and why one would spend years practicing and perfecting a select collection of pieces. It also looks at the tension between love of music and the anxiety of mastering it. Listening to this makes me consider why I chose my career, what my passions are, and what I really love to do. This is one I will be listening to again.

Touched!

I had no knowledge of Jonathan Biss prior to listening to this volume of Words + Music. I loved hearing him speak about his perspective & human experience. I also enjoyed hearing his music. Would love to hear more of both from him.

I'm a non music person or I m looking to know more

I'm always learning and not being a music person this was very interesting. to me. I I i enjoyed performance and story..

Stunningly intimate

I mostly enjoyed the revelations by the author about himself. He is a great writer/speaker and is brilliant as a writer aside from his musical genius. Astounding how he memorized so many difficult pieces. Can’t say I like classical music but the performances were spellbinding for the sheer sake of the difficulty.

Ambivalent

I'm a big fan of Biss's musical performances in general, and of course here in "between chapter" interludes in "Unquiet." I've also taken a few online classes on Beethoven piano sonatas from him, which were excellent. I started out enjoying this story of Biss's journey, but as I got further into it I felt increasingly uncomfortable, feeling that the whole thing was a bit self indulgent, and the experience was sort of like listening to a session with the author's therapist. It was interesting (especially the parts where Biss describes the challenges of being a touring professional musician), yet in the end I was ambivalent about the whole thing.

Profound and eye-opening

The combination of prose and music made this a particular powerful memoir. I hope this provides a springboard for other people — performers and others to feel comfortable and confident when discussing anxiety issues.

Outstanding

This story is superbly written and preformed. I was not expecting to be so captivated by Jonathan’s story. I highly recommend this audiobook and enjoy the format of music along with a story.

Unexpected and beautiful

An honest view into the development of an artist. I sank into the words and the music. Thank you.