Genius or madman? Beethoven lived by his own rules in life and in composition. He left behind a legacy of music that has often been described as the mightiest body of work ever to be created by one composer. We explore the impact Beethoven's deafness had in shaping his music and career. We feature his most popular masterpieces, the 5th and 9th symphonies-demonstrating how his writing evolved as his condition deteriorated. And we attempt to answer the most often debated hypothetical question asked about this tormented genius - would Beethoven have been as great had he not gone deaf?
