Music and words

As Patrick Rothfuss once said Music is for when words fail us  I'd like to start this blog by talking a bit about one of the most distinguished musicians of all time.  Ludwig van Beethoven, who, as a composer, shined not only by his simple melodies (he had trouble creating beautiful and more complex lines. A handicap that Mozart, for example, did not have), but by his harmonic constructions as well, had a quite difficult life. One of the most famous anecdotes was as it follows:  One famous story involves his Ninth Symphony's premiere in Vienna in 1824. During the performance, Beethoven was standing on stage, conducting, even though he couldn't hear the music. When the final movement, the "Ode to Joy," concluded, the audience erupted in applause. Beethoven, who was still facing the orchestra and couldn't hear the audience's reaction, was turned around by one of the soloists, and to his astonishment, saw the audience giving him a standing ovation.