His genius originality was accented and increased by his deafness.
His Catholic faith kept him from despairing and he pressed on! Deo gratias!
Along with Mozart, Beethoven is one of the glorious fruits of the Holy Roman Empire and the reign of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, the greatest Hapsburg! Cf. Wiki.
N.B. Listen above to a brilliant disciple of Beethoven: Ferdinand Ries.
[N]o where else in the cultural field is there a music of a magnitude equal to that established in the context of the Christian faith: from Palestrina to Bach, Handel, up to Mozart, Beethoven and Bruckner. Western music is something unique, which is unparalleled in other cultures. This should make us think.