Studying for my Repertoire and Listening final and rediscovering this long-loved treasure. I grew up listening to this piece but these days there’s something fresh and new about it…
“The theme of the second movement is mind-blowing—one single flat-line pitch: bummm bum-bum bummm bummm, bummm bum-bum bummm bummm… Finally a couple of new notes, then more monotone. But not monotonous.”
“[Beethoven]…seems to be driving at dramatic conflicts and triumphs on a scale which threatens the stability of planetary orbits.”
— Paul Johnston, Artist-Lecturer, Carnegie Mellon University
photonsandneurons.wordpress.com 
I love this one, too. To me, the 5th is the beginning; this one is the journey; and the 9th is the destination. Most people are like physicist, pay more attention to the beginning and the end and assume that “it’s all under the ideal condition” in the process. A handful always likes to “analyze” the process! That’s why they are called “psychologist(≠)psychiatrist”