What are Mannheim rockets in Ludwig van Beethoven’s music?

The term "Mannheim rocket" refers to a specific musical device—a swiftly ascending melodic figure—that was famously cultivated by the Mannheim school of 18th-century composers.1

In the context of Ludwig van Beethoven’s music, these rockets are characterized as wide-leaping arpeggio figures that conclude with explosive effects. While these devices were used as occasional effects by other composers of the era, they became a fundamental element of Beethoven’s own musical personality. These techniques, alongside sudden dynamic shifts between soft (piano) and loud (forte), were instrumental in helping Beethoven liberate instrumental music from its traditional dependence on vocal styles. Because of his mastery and integration of these stylistic traits, Beethoven is often described as the "last and finest flower on the Mannheim tree".2