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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Beethoven's Birthday

This is the birthday of Beethoven, who was born in 1770. I commemorate this event by linking to a YouTube video of Leonard Bernstein conducting a multinational group of musicians, including both East and West Germans, performing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, as part of a celebration of the fall of the Berlin Wall, on December 25, 1989. This part of the Ninth Symphony is often used in church hymnals, as "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee."

Beethoven was (and is) noted for the beauty and power of his music, and also for being almost totally deaf, but continuing to compose -- including the Ninth Symphony -- during the last years of his life.

I have previously posted on Beethoven's "Hallelujah Chorus," which also has a link to a YouTube video.

Thanks for reading, and, perhaps, for listening.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I really like Beethoven's Sonata Pathetique for piano; it's fun to play, or attempt to play at least.

Martin LaBar said...

Beethoven wrote a lot of good stuff.

Thanks.

atlibertytosay said...

Beethoven had the gift of spirit - music affects the spirit greatly. I believe his god given talent was to feel music with his soul rather than just compose and hear music with his 5 senses.

I've read that he wrote about smelling and tasting music - a flower's song would be sweet.

Martin LaBar said...

Thanks, atlibertytosay.

His talent was God given, for sure.