It seems unlikely that this far-fetched experiment
will bear any fruit, but in a sense of open mindedness I embrace the diaphragm
of my phone receiver which has been unscrewed for my use to “feel” this live performance
from Carnegie Hall of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The music begins to play not through
my ears but through the tips of my fingers! Suddenly to my surprise I am
transported back in time to May 7th ,1824 when Beethoven’s Ninth
Symphony was first launched on its maiden voyage, navigating an ocean of sound,
riding the crests and troughs of the maelstrom to its eventual finale in a celebration
of life created by a man also denied his hearing. The composition is a
beautiful and inspirational piece, which I can tell through its varied
vibrations, by a man who gratefully accepted his limitations and courageously
forged ahead, not afraid to be laughed at in pursuit of his art, he conducted the
orchestra himself, totally deaf. I have read that at its completion one of Beethoven’s
soloists plucked at his sleeve directing his attention to the grand applause,
along with the waving hats and handkerchiefs of his wildly appreciative audience.
He turned and bowed.
Jim
Sept. 2021
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