Beethoven's early chamber music is, for many listeners, largely an unexplored treasure trove of fresh, often highly creative, sometimes surprising music. This listening guide will help the interested listener experience this music more fully, by providing detailed examples of what to expect and what to listen for among Beethoven's chamber works up to and including the famous string quartets of Op. 18. The historical background for Beethoven's early works will also be provided, but the emphasis is on the listener's direct experience of the music. The book includes over 100 notated musical examples

The author is a musicologist who has written on a wide variety of topics from Beethoven to the Beatles.