In them, for the most
part, he addresses people in their holiday humor. His experience with
Fidelio may have impressed the fact upon his mind that sorrow and pain
should be sparingly portrayed on festive occasions. Not so with the
piano sonatas, which can be heard and studied in the privacy of one's
home. Even the quartets may be placed in the category since they do not
require an elaborate equipment and preparation for their production.
Take him all in all optimism prevails with him, or rather, in true
philosophic spirit, he demonstrates that the sorrow, the inevitable
trouble and misery of life, is more than offset by the good things the
gods have provided. Life, after all, is a precious gift, which should be
duly appreciated. A period of enjoyment, gayety, strengthens and
fortifies the mind, and enables it better to bear the burdens when they
come. The great creative genius, must perforce, in the very nature of
things, be optimistic in his chosen work. He is more alive, more
possessed with the belief that life with its opportunities is worth
while, than is the case with the ordinary man going about his petty
concerns.
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