Beethoven (1770-1827) once said, “Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.” That belief is perhaps no better illustrated than in his nine symphonies. They are the most famous and frequently-performed symphonies ever composed - often likened to other great masterpieces of art, such as the plays of Shakespeare or the sculpture of Michelangelo. But what makes them so legendary, and what can they express and communicate to us today, in our busy, hectic lives, two hundred years later? In this series, we’ll look into Beethoven’s life and times, their impact on him and his art, and his powerful skills and methods of musical communication and expression through his wonderful world of the symphony.