German-born composer Ludwig van Beethoven was not even 30 years old and already a favorite of the aristocracy in Vienna when, in the late 1790s, he experienced the onset of deafness. Beethoven initially succumbed to despair and resignation, but then emerged from the crisis, vowing to “seize Fate by the throat.”

Thus began the second of the three loosely defined periods in Beethoven’s career. This middle (or “mature”) period is marked by large and highly dramatic works, which Beethoven apparently intended to serve as metaphors for his own turbulent life. The compositions begin with dissonance and turmoil but reach a triumphant conclusion. They thereby illustrate Beethoven’s faith in ascendancy and his optimistic belief that one could prevail over adversity.

Symphony No. 5 in C minor, composed between 1805 and 1807, is a glowing legacy of the middle period. With its powerful first four notes, “Da da da dum,” the Fifth Symphony is immediately recognizable. Beethoven is believed to have said of the intense first movement, “There Fate knocks at the door.” The symphony then drives toward a jubilant climax that evokes the image of a parade celebrating the defeat of Fate.

Beethoven was completely deaf after 1816.

PostScript: Beethoven’s father, a court musician, tried to establish Ludwig as a child prodigy in the image of Mozart. At 17, Beethoven visited Vienna and played for Mozart, who afterward proclaimed that the young virtuoso would achieve world renown. Five years later, Beethoven left home for Vienna, where he remained until his death in 1827.