Joyce Maier wrote: >Ears, writes Solomon are a symbol of the male genitals. Hm. Viewers of "The Sopranos" will recall when Tony Sopranos's emasculating mother conspires to have him killed, the killers botch the job and shoot off his ear instead. Hm, again! So in Beethoven's case, who is the emasculator? Fate knocking at the door? And what is the consequnce of the "emasculation"? Impotence with the Immortal Beloved? Maybe it just proves you don't have to have balls to write a great symphony. John Dalmas [log in to unmask] [And demonstrates clearly the ridiculousness of long-distance psychoanalysis. -Dave]