“Kramer places the works he discusses within revelatory new cultural contexts; as ever, he writes analysis which speaks to the performer.”

Ian Bostridge, author of 'Song and Self: A Singer's Reflections on Music and Performance'

“From the Ruins of Enlightenment is a beautifully written, original analysis of many of the best known, most often discussed and performed works of two central composers, Beethoven and Schubert. As has been the case in Kramer’s work throughout his career, this is an exceedingly musical study, one which promises to change the way we hear the works he discusses. Kramer is a sensitive reader of poetry and an insightful analyst of how composers interpreted the texts they set.”

Christopher Reynolds, University of California, Davis

“Kramer is one of the world’s most important critics on music and aesthetics of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. He is a giant figure in Schubert studies. Unafraid to be controversial, he always writes with stringency, shrewd discrimination, and verve. What is distinctive about Kramer’s venture into a topic that has occasioned a wealth of contending interventions is its peerless mastery of Beethoven’s and Schubert’s compositional approaches. From the Ruins of Enlightenment is unique in its range, scholarly ambition, and intellectual vigor.”

Lorraine Byrne Bodley, Maynooth University

“Drawing heavily on the composers’ sketches, drafts, manuscripts, notebooks, contemporary sources, and his own performance experience, Kramer demonstrates an acute ear, an analytical mind, and reasoned opinions. . . . Readers will feel as if they are looking over the shoulders of these musical titans as they create stunning work.”

Library Journal

"This text about music should be carefully read and even more carefully pondered, especially by anyone who dares to feel that the time for new books about Schubert and Beethoven has gone for ever."

The Musical Times