This richly documented first volume of Alexander Wheelock Thayer's monumental Beethoven biography, revised and completed by Henry Edward Krehbiel, follows the composer from his Bonn origins into the first flush of Vienna fame. Grounded in letters, records, and newly translated materials, it combines scholarly precision with a vivid portrait of the man behind the music, tracing how Beethoven's genius emerged amid family history, the political and musical life of Bonn, early teachers, and formative influences. The narrative then charts his decisive break from Bonn, his complex admiration for Haydn, and his determined independence as he builds a new career in Vienna. In 1796 and 1797, Beethoven's reputation as pianist and composer rises quickly through noble patrons, study with Albrechtsberger, improving finances, and concert appearances in Prague and Berlin. Letters and eyewitness accounts reveal a confident, ambitious artist, celebrated for improvisations of astonishing force, admired at the Prussian court, and equally capable of wit, pride, and uncompromising standards. Along the way, the biography weighs evidence carefully, separating fact from later legend while showing Beethoven's growing stature and the world that recognized it. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.