It's for the reasons you mention, that Beethoven inadvertently created dissonances and curious harmonic choices that he's considered the original modernist comp

It's for the reasons you mention, that Beethoven inadvertently created dissonances and curious harmonic choices that he's considered the original modernist composer. Personally I adore his later works for this reason - somehow, they make sense to my modern ears even though I agree with you if he had his hearing he would have corrected many sections. Also bear in mind that Beethoven was obsessed with the idea of variation: he took a theme and knew how to run with it. So in his later years, I expect he was also open to much more experimentation. One of his great themes is in the opening of the 2nd movement of the symphony #7, which one of my favourites of all my many favourites of this exquisite human being. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsskIs96smU&t=13m04s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsskIs96smU&t=13m04s