Ludwig van Beethoven and I

In preschool age, I saw and heard Beethoven's 9th Symphony on TV for the first time. It was a live broadcast from the Leipzig Gewandhaus. This worldwide work has accompanied me all my life – initially once a year on TV, for several years now also live as a concertgoer.

Today, at 61 years old, I know a lot about Beethoven's life. I have listened to almost all of his musical works countless times in the meantime – visited his places of activity and museums in Vienna and elsewhere. Only the annual Beethovenfest in Bonn had not seen me yet.

During the intermission of a classical concert in late summer, my wife booked tickets again for the Ninth on December 30 at the Dresden Philharmonic. In the second half of the concert, I remembered that Beethoven's 200th death anniversary is on March 26, 2027. "... a Beethoven project?" – a question that occupied me on the hour-long walk home.