[Petronius]

Colleagues,
As you know, yesterday was Beethoven's birthday. 250 years. In order to sufficiently celebrate this I went to the grocery store and found myself in the beer aisle. A nice tasty lager seemed in order, along with some red meat.
After selecting Guinness Blond (Budweiser doesn't cut it) I went to pay for my stuff I mentioned to the checker whom I know that it was Beethoven's birthday and I was going to listen to a recording or two and once again enjoy his genius with my spouse and my dog. The cats will probably leave the room.
overhearing me, a rather attractive woman (one mustn't say girl or lady any more) remarked that her mother, occasionally listened to classical music because it was so relaxing. What! What is she listening to Mantovani? It sure as hell wasn't Beethoven! One doesn't listen to Beethoven to relax. I of course didn't say that. What I did say was "oh?"
"Oh yes, and she usually reads when she has it on."
Egad! I'm reminded of Schroeder in the Peanuts cartoon strip, "BEETHOVEN IS THE MEANING OF LIFE!!"
It was meaning less to pursue this exchange any further, so I wished Patty (the checker) a Merry Christmas (I'm NOT P.C.) and then the young woman also.
As we on this site know, listening is a personal thing. What ever the composer has in mind, we have to find it within the notes written, and then expressed by the performer. I won't drag this on any further, but I once had a conductor say during rehearsal, that to play Beethoven's music at any less than fff (unless called for), was stylistically incorrect.