Bittersweet: An Audio E-Course by Susan Cain
The Next Big Idea
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Beethoven's Ode to Joy
For three decades, Beethoven had worked on setting Ode to Joy. To him, this poem was the ultimate expression of love and unity. He felt he had to do a justice, composing some 200 versions before settling on the one he liked best. But those years had not been kind to him: rocky romances, turbulent guardianship of his nephew, and he lost his hearing. The performance ended and Beethoven stood with his back to the audience, still beating time to music that played only in his own head. A young soloist instantly turned him around to see the audience, with tears streaming down their cheeks,. hanker chiffs and hats raised.
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