He pursued the ideals of "freedom, equality, and fraternity" throughout his life. His main works reflected the revolutionary enthusiasm of the bourgeoisie at that time to fight against feudalism and fight for democracy, and showed the heroic spirit of mankind. In his later years, he was in the period of Metternich's reactionary rule and the restoration of feudal forces. Some of his works revealed negative emotions, but he still maintained his eager yearning for the bourgeois democratic revolution. His creations inherit the traditions of Haydn and Mozart, and absorb the tones of the French Revolution, inspiring people and inspiring fighting spirit. In order to make the music express dramatic opposition, various innovations were carried out in creative techniques: using widely developed contrasting themes and dynamic harmonious progressions; expanding the sonata form structure to adapt to conflicts, and deepening the introduction, reproduction and ending. expressive meaning. In the suites, he is good at replacing elegant minuets with dynamic scherzos, giving orchestral pieces symphonic orchestrations, and quoting human voices in symphonies. His creative achievements have greatly deepened the ideological and expressive power of music art and have a profound impact on future generations. His major works include nine symphonies (the third "Hero", the fifth "Destiny", the sixth "Pastoral" and the ninth "Chorus" are the most famous), the opera "Fidelio", and the drama "Egmont" The soundtrack of "The Ruins of Athens" includes five piano concertos, one violin concerto, sixteen string quartets, ten violin sonatas and two masses.

In the era before Beethoven, the great sage in the European music scene was Mozart. However, the value of Mozart's music, after all, is limited to a kind of "sound architecture", that is, it only has the meaning of existence because of the "beauty" of the music. As for Beethoven, it is even more brilliant. His music is a symbol of his great soul. Mozart's music is the art of feeling, and Beethoven's music is the sound of the soul.