Brahms venerated Beethoven; in the composer's home, a marble bust of Beethoven looked down on the spot where he composed, and some passages in his works are reminiscent of Beethoven's style. Brahms's First Symphony bears strongly the influence of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, as the two works are both in C minor and end in the struggle towards a C major triumph. read more
The only definite answer can be given the other way round: Brahms was so in awe of Beethoven that he didn't write his first symphony until he was around 43. He was a true son of the Germanic symphonic tradition as epitomised by Beethoven, so I am sure that Beethoven would have approved. read more