I listened to this piece yesterday in Central Park. During summer, we had a series of free Naumburg concerts. There were more people than seats available, and many passing by stopped to listen. It was a great piece indeed!
In science, absolute music is known as raw data while program music is known as interpreted data. Since the movements of the sixth are titled, the symphony is programmed music. An example of absolute music is Bach's fugues. The sixth is the most spiritual of all Beethoven's symphonies hence its greatness. It is quiet but it drives one to tear because it is programmed.