Beethoven's Ode to Joy

Did you know?

…that it was completed 190 years ago? After almost two centuries it continues to bring joy to the world.

…that he was almost completely deaf when he composed the piece? It is believed that he cut the legs off his piano and played it sitting down on the floor so he could feel the vibrations of the music?

…he conducted the first performance himself? At one point the audience was applauding wildly and one of the soloists turned Beethoven around so he could see them waving handkerchiefs, hats, gloves, and hands in the air. They knew he could not hear the applause and wanted him to see it. Too bad they didn’t have gas lighters to wave for him. I’m sure he would have loved it.

…there are at least three flash mob performances of Beethoven’s Ninth on YouTube?

I am embedding two below for your enjoyment. The first is from Spain. The wonderful children that do their own conducting as they watch and listen are a tribute to the spontaneous joy the music evokes.

I’m also including the video of a flash mob performance in Hong Kong, which starts with a warm-up. Players come on buses, trains, and on foot. Love their “tuxedo” tee shirts.

This amazing music is one of my favorites. What about you?

(Most of the Did you know points came from Wikipedia. This valuable resource is kept alive and ad free by people like us. Help keep it available for everyone by making a tax deductible contribution . https://donate.wikimedia.org