The Ever-ending Symphony

I'm tired of fighting with the pancreatic issues, so I decided on a change of pace. There was a very long delay to pick up the grocery order, and I had time to listen to Classical MPR radio. I instantly recognized the piece.

You might also. Beethoven wrote 9 symphonies, of which two are almost universally recognized by those with any familiarity with his music, his 5th and his 9th. The latter is his choral symphony, and contains what I recognized as a hymn I used to sing before I paid any attention to its origin. The fifth is the one with the repeating rhythm, a musical version of Morse  code's letter V, dit-dit-dit-daaahhh.  For victory, of course.

Beethoven was my first musical love, and still my favorite, much as I love a lot of other pieces. My first record set was his 9 symphonies, put out boxed by Readers Digest. Yep, about 1960. My favorites included the 5th and 9th, but my very favorite, full of angst matching that stage of my teenage years, was the 7th.

Many years ago I listened to a lot of classical MPR while I was out in the car all day, working. Occasionally the hosts of various programs would drop gems of information about the piece next to be played, something to be sure you paid attention, sticking around for what they called a "driveway moment" for those who just had to listen to the end instead of going into the house.

The most memorable one I heard was about the ending to the Fifth. As it was described, it was a combination joke and an eff-you to his critics. The endings on his pieces lasted longer than had been customary for a very long time, and the critics hated it. He had an answer for them, the finale to his 5th.

Take a few minutes some time and just listen to the ending. Or should I say endings? Over, and over, and over he builds it up to a finish... and then keeps going. You think it's time to applaud... and a new theme picks up and runs away with it, or an old theme with new instruments, or new variations, or it backs up to just before a previous long road to a climax... but it still isn't over. By the time it does, you're just not quite sure if the game is over for real. When it finally is, I find it a disappointment. The fun should keep going.

It makes this one unique, a joy for those who don't want it to end, a chuckle for those in on the joke. It's definitely a victory over the critics because it's possibly his best beloved, most recognized work.