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Donald Macleod introduces the life and music of this complex character during the turbulent years 1806 - 1812 when he produced some of the greatest masterpieces of his life. Donald examines Beethoven's relationships with friends, family, women, patrons and publishers, and with the city which he made his home - Vienna. 1806 was a difficult year for Beethoven on a personal level - he tried unsuccessfully to prevent the marriage of his brother Caspar Carl to a woman he thoroughly disapproved of, in the process greatly damaging their already fragile relationship. But it was also a highly productive year for Beethoven; he produced a steady stream of new works including his Fourth Piano Concerto, three string quartets written for Count Rasumovsky and a set of Variations for Piano on an Original Theme all of which helped boost his reputation both in Vienna and throughout Europe.