Pablo Massa writes:

>What's the sense of saying "Beethoven's music tends to emphasize
>individual struggle and triumph?  The meaning of this assertion "tends"
>to zero.

But it might mean quite a bit to the person who feels that way about
Beethoven's music.  There's one other aspect I'd like to mention.
Individuals often seek out mates who are very different in personality;
this can also apply to composers.  As I had mentioned, Bach's order and
architecture appeals greatly to me, and I am a highly disorganized person.
Perhaps some folks who tend to mesh with the crowd love Beethoven at least
in part because of the individual's struggle that they detect in his music.
My main point is that what "tends" to zero for one person can be much
greater than that for another.

Don Satz
[log in to unmask]