Beethoven: Hero/Rebel

That question may well have been in Beethoven’s mind in the early years of the 19th Century as the macro-politics of the day seemed to clash with his own mental health struggles. In 1802 Beethoven had written to his brothers distressed by his developing deafness. In the following years, Napoleon’s campaign to liberate Europe from tyrannous monarchies sparked hope in the composer. He dedicated his Symphony No. 3 to the consul, but before the work ...