“I want to prove that anyone who acts well and nobly can therefore endure misfortune. »
 BEETHOVEN
 To the municipality of Vienna. February 1, 1819.
 The air is heavy around us. Old Europe is becoming numb in a heavy and stale atmosphere. A materialism without grandeur weighs on thought, and hinders the action of governments and individuals. The world is dying of asphyxiation in its cautious and base selfishness. The world is suffocating. — Let's open the windows. Let's bring in the free air. Let's breathe the breath of heroes.