I personally think that he stopped using the double fugue in his symphonies because he was utilizing that technique in his quartet writing. The double fugue from his 3rd symphony was the starting point for mapping out the Große Fuge for string quartet which was written a good 20 years after the completion of his 3rd symphony. It was extremely controversial after its completion and contained concepts that are still relevant in contemporary classical music.

The 3rd symphony was the most significant work for Beethoven personally in his life. After struggling with the escalation of his deafness and suicidal thoughts he stated that “I will seize Fate by the throat; it shall certainly not bend and crush me completely”. His 3rd symphony served as a foundation on which he lifted himself back onto his seat as the leader of the exploration of the musical frontier. It served as a statement not only to the audience but to himself, proving that he was still capable of composing and creating controversial and powerful music.