Beethoven's symphonies show a new style of writing. Instead of pumping out dozens of symphonies like his predecessors, Beethoven wrote only nine - but each one was a masterpiece that still holds a place in the repertoire. We'll look at how he pushed the limits of the Classical Era with his early symphonies, before laying the template for Romanticism with the Eroica. We'll discuss how he made a titanic statement with a tiny, four-note idea in the Fifth Symphony, how the Pastoral Symphony embodied 19th Century trends like program music and idealization of country life, and the majestic Choral Symphony which tore down the divide between instrumental symphony and vocal music.