Question

Professor Botstein said that it was important to remember that Beethoven was deaf when he wrote his fifth symphony.

a) True
b) False

Answer 1

Beethoven was not yet profoundly deaf when he wrote his fifth symphony, although his hearing was deteriorating; he was nearly completely deaf by the time he composed his ninth symphony.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that Beethoven was deaf when he wrote his fifth symphony is false. Beethoven began to lose his hearing in his late 20s or early 30s, but he could still hear when he composed his fifth symphony, which premiered in 1808. His hearing deteriorated over the years, and he was almost completely deaf by the time he composed his ninth symphony. Therefore, while Beethoven's later works, including the ninth symphony, were indeed composed when he was dealing with severe hearing loss, the fifth symphony was created before his deafness was profound.