# Where do I go from Beethoven's symphonies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 27, 2012, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-go-from-beethovens-symphonies/610909 "2012-01-27T21:01:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-go-from-beethovens-symphonies/610909/41 "2012-02-02T22:02:31Z")
Sheesh, I had the lecture packet on the desk next to me, I should have checked the spelling. Anyway, if you want to buy them you can usually find the cheap on eBay or wait until they go on sale. I think over the holidays the How to Listen to…series was on sale for something like 70% off. They all eventually go on crazy sale like that. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-go-from-beethovens-symphonies/610909/42 "2012-02-02T22:21:02Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Unless you’ve got money to burn, never, ever pay full price for a course from The Teaching Company. They frequently put them on sale at a substantial discount. > > (You can also sometimes find cheaper used copies on Amazon, ebay, etc., if your library doesn’t have them.) Thank you, sir! Amazon has a whole section dedicated to the lectures in several different formats and price ranges. I’m thinking of calling the Fine Arts Dept. at UWG and asking if they have the set (there are 80???!!!) and let me come over there and watch them when they aren’t in use. As popular as they seem to be, I’d be surprised if the Department doesn’t have them. Also **NAF1138** , I didn’t mean to come off sounding so critical about the spelling, sorry! Quasi ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-go-from-beethovens-symphonies/610909/43 "2012-02-02T23:58:14Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > **NAF1138** , I didn’t mean to come off sounding so critical about the spelling, sorry! > > Quasi Oh, no worries. I can’t spell for beans, so my reaction was more of an eye roll at myself for not checking when I know I mess those things up and all I would have had to do was turn my head to the right. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-go-from-beethovens-symphonies/610909/44 "2012-02-03T17:03:52Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Yes, Mozart is very refined and delicate compared with Beethoven’s robustness. I tend to miss that aggression when I listed to too much Mozart, though his melodies are truly lovely. There are a number of Mozart works that are notable for their influence on Beethoven. The operas ‘Don Giovanni’ and ‘The Magic Flute’ were luminescent masterpieces, in Beethoven’s estimation. I really only discovered the Mozart piano sonatas this past year. What crystalline wonders they are, though. I would say that whatever Mozart may lack in terms of sheer power when compared to Beethoven, the grace and dexterity of his musical ideas more than makes up for them. Mozart is to Beethoven as Odysseus is to Achilles. By all means, listen to them both and see if you agree with me or not. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-go-from-beethovens-symphonies/610909/45 "2012-02-03T17:55:45Z")
I was just thinking of recommending Mozart’s Overtures. It seems to me that a lot of the “drama” in Beethoven’s symphonies grows out of his appreciation for Opera of the era. Of course Fidelio is pretty great in that regard too, but nothing comes close to Mozart (for me) when you are talking Opera music. Opera, at least overtures, sort of generally might be something the OP would want to look into. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-go-from-beethovens-symphonies/610909.md?page=2)