Was Beethoven truly the greatest?
- Written by Philip Ewell, Professor of music theory, Hunter College
A portrait of the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven in 1818. 12/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesOn May 7, 1824, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony premiered in Vienna, Austria. On its 200th anniversary, much was made about this seminal achievement of a composer routinely touted as the greatest master who ever lived.
In an essay...

