Mozart was a genius, not in a biased, 'I love him therefore he is a genius,' kind of a way but in many objective ways. read more
Beethoven was a contemporary of Mozart. As a master, Mozart's style and sound was the gold standard of the time and is what people came to expect. As an exercise, go listen to any three pieces by Mozart in a row, then follow with any 1 piece by Beethoven. your ear will know the difference immediately. read more