As a result, Beethoven grew to adore Napoleon. He had no illusions; he was fully aware that, as First Consul, Napoleon was already trampling on revolutionary ideas, and he was still a Romantic idealist enough to complain about it. But Beethoven's admiration for Napoleon was so great that he was willing to put this complaint aside. They met for the first time in Paris in April 1798. At that time, Beethoven was just breaking into music journalism and trying to make a name for himself by publishing articles that would draw attention to themselves. One of these articles was a review of a new book by Bonaparte's brother Lucien. In this article, which was also his first attempt at writing political criticism, Beethoven praised the new government but also criticized it for being too authoritarian. This made an impression not only on Lucien who was very much involved in politics but also on his brother who became one of the leading figures in the coup that brought Napoleon to power. When Beethoven returned to Vienna after several years abroad, he heard that the French emperor had summoned his brother to Paris. Believing this could be a good opportunity for him to get back in touch with the highest echelons of European culture, Beethoven decided to go there too.