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I can see how someone might not care for Beethoven, or might fail to understand him. His music, particularly the later stuff, can be rather thick and opaque. Even early on he tended to be noisy and obstreperous at times. Those qualities are part of what makes his music great, but it isn't exactly "easy listening."
However, I do want to change my mind about my vote in the early days of this thread for Mozart as the greatest composer, particularly since part of my rationale was a hypothetical argument of what he might have become had he lived longer. Using that logic, what might Beethoven have become had he not had deafness to deal with as an obstacle - a considerable impediment to a musician? Or was it his deafness and musical isolation that made him as great as he was? Interesting points to ponder, but pointless as arguments, since we cannot possibly know.
My vote changes to Beethoven for reasons others have already cited capably, as well as a renewed appreciation based on a year of studying his keyboard works on the fortepiano, which precipitated further study and appreciation of his output in other areas. I tend to prefer his earlier works, but his singular importance in the history of music is undeniable to me now. Not only was he arguably the culmination of the Classical era, but he ushered in a new era, in effect, on his own.
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