In many people's eyes he defined the image of a brilliant but difficult artist - reinforced by the many hundreds of paintings and busts of a Beethoven with wildly unkempt hair and a serious piercing glare.
And all of that is a truthful representation. He was definitely a rebel for his time.
Beethoven was the first musician who faced aristocracy and affirmed his artistic criterion. Until then, musician geniuses (e.g. Bach or Telemann) were simply at the service of some aristocrats or king and composed only what was asked them.
With Beethoven everything changed.
Beethoven bravely subverted the status quo between artists and aristocracy. This can be seen in his letter to Prince Lichnowsky, one of his appreciators and patrons: "Prince, what you are, you are through chance and birth; what I am, I am through my own labor. There are many princes and there will continue to be thousands more, but there is only one Beethoven."
"There are many princes and there will continue to be thousands more, but there is only one Beethoven"
Beethoven was the first to obtain a contract where the aristocracy paid an annuity to compose what he wanted, when he wanted and how he wanted.
He was a brave man, grasping his fate.
He affirmed his belief with the third symphony which is called coincidentally: Eroica Symphony
“To play a wrong note is insignificant; to play without passion is inexcusable.”
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