Beethoven was my first favorite composer. The Symphony No. 3, “Eroica,” opened up a whole new world for me.
Of course, I was always something of dreamer. By high school, I was listening to all of the symphonies with regularity, sometimes on my trusty Walkman as I trekked to school on a crisp winter morn, or on the turntable while lounging on my bed, after completing my paper route, creating a kind of oasis before dinner.
The Beethoven symphonies filled my head with many strange and adventurous scenarios, though perhaps none were as outlandish as that offered by director John Boorman in his cult classic, “Zardoz” (1974).
“Zardoz” sported long, static shots of a giant, stone head drifting across the sky to the second movement of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony. It also sported a hirsute Sean Connery in bandoliers and diaper. Just try to get that image out of your head.
Then join me at 4:00 for a performance I discovered as a teenager and have cherished ever since.
I’ll be with you for Symphonies Nos. 7, 8 & 9, to wrap up our Beethoven birthday marathon, from 4 to 7 p.m. EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.