Beethoven Symphony No. 5

They are the most famous 8 notes in not only Western Music, but
probably in all of music. If you walk down the street and ask
someone to name a painting, they might say the Mona Lisa.  A
movie?  Maybe Star Wars.  A piece of classical
music?  Certainly, it would be Beethoven 5.  But why?
 What makes those 8 notes so arrestingly powerful?
 Well, this week, we’re going to take a deep look at this
ubiquitous piece, exploring lots of different questions.
 What inspired Beethoven to write such a piece (a hint here,
it probably wasn’t fate knocking at the door)?  How was this
symphony different from everything that came before it?
 What influence did it have on composers of the future?
 What are the OTHER 3 movements of the symphony like, since
many people only know the first movement?  This symphony is
monumentally important because in many ways it serves as the
fulcrum between the classical and romantic eras. It is the most
quoted piece of classical music there is, and it remains the most
played symphony in the world. Today on this show from the
archives, we're going to be exploring this symphony including new
material that includes discoveries I've made about the symphony
only in the last year or so, including the impact that the French
Revolution had on the conception of this symphony. Join us!