In the myth of Amphion and Zethus, two brothers are charged with the building of the walls of Thebes. Zethus admirably commits to the construction with tremendous energy and labor, as would be expected such a physical feat. Amphion, on the other hand, chose a different approach: he played the lyre and the stones fell into place on their own. The plot of the myth is straight forward enough, however whimsical or fantastic. The interpretation of the myth can be a clue to understanding the true scope of music.

Beethoven occupies a rather unique position in music history. Quality and artistic vision along with tremendous will power are implicit in any discussion of this master. Also, a revealing biography is well-known about Beethoven. What is less visible about Beethoven’s historical position and role is the coincidence of many factors that enabled the composer to have the far-reaching consequence of his vision and efforts…