Before Beethoven dared to write a single symphonic note, he first had to “tame” the forms of Haydn and Mozart. We will explore how the piano became the sketchbook in which Beethoven first dared to be abrupt and emotional, and how he transferred this energy to his quartets (op. 18) and the Septet in E-flat major, op. 20 as a testing ground for structure, drama and contrast. Everything was now in place for him to make the leap onto the public symphonic stage.