Sick or well, at home or
abroad, his work went on; it was a part of his life, as necessary,
apparently, as eating or sleeping. In size the Seventh Symphony exceeds
any of the preceding ones. "Eine meiner vorzueglichsten" (one of my
best), is Beethoven's statement in regard to it. Here the composer's
meaning is not so readily elucidated as in the Pastoral, for instance.
It means all things to all people. He usually had a clearly defined
purpose or idea before him when composing, particularly in the case of
his large orchestral works. Of the creations of such a man, it was to be
expected that they would increase in grandeur with each succeeding one.
Every great thing achieved is only an earnest of still greater in
reserve. The fertility of his mind was exhaustless. As he penetrated
deeper into this new world of the imagination, wider vistas were
constantly being opened before his mental vision. "What I have in my
heart must come out when I write," he stated to Czerny. "I never thought
of writing for fame and honor." Grandeur and simplicity are prominent
traits in Beethoven's character and these are exemplified in the Seventh
Symphony.
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