When you brought up this piece it reminded me of another. I think you will hear Beethoven's influence on Rossini in the very popular piece.
But I want you to do a thought experiment with it, because there are so many connotations with this piece, because of its popularity in movies and tv. I want you try to forget everything you know about this piece, and try to think of yourself living when it was first performed. Imagine that you are treating your significant-other out for a night of entertainment and you are going to see this work never having heard it before.
To this day it still puts goose bumps on my arms.