One of the most incredible pieces of music ever written by a deaf person, to a lucky audience of non-deaf persons.
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A shockingly excellent performance
One of the most incredible pieces of music ever written by a deaf person, to a lucky audience of non-deaf persons.
15 replies on “A shockingly excellent performance”
Listened to this with the Sony MDR-7506 headphones just before editing today’s Bill Whittle Now (recorded before release of the Mueller Report summary). Magnificent. My highlight: Kid on the light pole.
When I first ran into this, my mouth was open all the way through, but yes, the kid definitely stood out. I had never heard of a flash orchestra performance before.
Useless trivialoid: my wife and I used the 4th of the 9th as our wedding music.
I used to love Ode to Joy but we hear it more and more as the “National” anthem of the EU, now it makes my skin crawl.
Are there any indications that the European project to recreate the Soviet Union, only with German control, is foundering? It was obvious from the very beginning what was actually intended, there.
It would make my skin crawl, as well.
I’ll admit to being preternaturally fond of Beethoven because one of my wedding presents from a cousin (married at 19, still going) was a full set of Beethoven symphonies directed by George Szell. We played them to death. I suspect the grooves from one side are nearly worn through to the grooves on the flip sides.
Of course I eventually got the same set on CDs, but the vinyl still has a place on my shelves.
One of my voice teachers spent time singing opera in Dresden before the Wall came down. She told me that she was so sick of singing Ode to Joy that she never wanted to sing it again.
I, however, have sung it in performance half a dozen times at least and I can assure you I will NEVER get tired of it. It may be the apex of symphonic music. The addition of a fourth movement with chorus was radical.
As far as I am concerned, the best recording of it was when the Wall came down and Bernstein conducted it with the combined East and West Berlin Philharmonics and soloists like June Anderson and Klaus Konig. That’s the performance where they substituted the word “Freiheit” for “Freude.”
There are alternate ways to enjoy Ode to Joy.
Stick with it for the rewarding finish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCME6ys6IFU
Loved it!!
Here is one flashmob with Ode to Joy that still makes me smile, done to celebrate the re-opening of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Bloody marvellous.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6W2ZMpsxhg
That was great!
Fun! That’s what I call performance art!
This is one of my go-to videos to lift my spirits when I’m down.
Thank you for this today, Steve. <3
This is a day for a good glass of wine, and good spirits! The Mueller probe is over, Trump didn’t collude with the Russians, the media is carbonizing their own brains, and the coup attempt is likely finished. Life is good.
Love that, as RG said the flash mob thing makes it cooler. I really enjoy these orchestra videos. The Danish National Symphony guys do a bunch of movie music and I could listen all day. Brings me back to when I saw the movies as a young man. Here are a couple of my favorites. The Good the Bad and the Ugly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkM71JPHfjk
The Godfather Suite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb8bx1q8eUo
Huge respect to people who can make music.
I discovered the Danish orchestra awhile back, and have had intentions to post videos of their Star Trek music, but (reviewing my post history) I see that I never got around to it. Highly recommended.
Love that, both Ode to Joy and the flashmob aspect. The idea that you could just be walking along when the world suddenly breaks out in song is a delight.