poster for 2005 Beethoven: Center of Gravity 2
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Disc 2 of the series juxtaposes Beethoven with Felix Mendelssohn, one of the great Romantic composers for whom Beethoven served as both inspiration and intimidation. Though Beethoven was initially very pleased with his Septet for Winds and Strings, he scorned the work later in life for its failure to depart from the Classical language of Haydn and Mozart. The new path he would forge in his music of the early 18th century gave birth to the Romantic generation, as characterized by such emotionally wrought works as Mendelssohn’s Opus 87 Viola Quintet.