Iron Maiden - Transylvania (Reading Festival 80, UK)

They continued to argue about the Ninth Symphony both in the 19th century and in the 20th. It saw either one of the peaks of human genius in general, the forerunner of the “art of the future” (Richard Wagner), or, on the contrary, an unfortunate creative failure caused by Beethoven’s extravagant desire to go beyond the limits of “pure” music. But the composer achieved his goal: this symphony became an extremely significant phenomenon for the very "millions" to whom it was addressed. The theme of Joy from the finale of the Ninth Symphony was repeatedly used as a quote in other works of art, including cinema. In 1985, the theme of Joy was chosen as the official anthem of the European Community. Such an applied use of this music undoubtedly simplifies its meaning, which can only be appreciated in the context of the entire symphony. However, Beethoven might not mindso that almost every person on earth knows his melody, even if he is not at all versed in classical music.