Beethoven's 6th Symphony

     Page Two Hundred-Ten.

      I'm listening to Beethoven's 6th symphony, The Pastoral, on the radio right now. It's one of my absolute favorite pieces of music of all time. It's all about a walk outside in the sunshine on a beautiful spring day after a long ridiculous winter. Can anyone relate to that?
     About 17 or 18 years ago, I was trying to get motivated to clean my apartment. I really couldn't get going though. It just wouldn't happen. But I wanted a clean place so bad I could taste it. All of a sudden, the DJ announced that he'd be playing Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony next. I took it as a sign and gift from the Lord. If there's anything which can motivate me to shiny, sparkly-clean windows, it's the 6th. As soon as the music started I got out the wash pail and bottle of Mr. Clean.
     If you think you don't know Beethoven's 6th, you actually may. It's in Disney's Fantasia. Do you remember the part where the horses are flying around the sky, it starts to rain and the Greek ruler gets drunk? That whole scene is set to the Pastoral Symphony.
     While Ludwig's 5th does nothing for me, his 6th and, of course, 9th (The Choral Symphony) are just little bits of heaven. I find his 3rd (The Eroica Symphony) and 7th pleasant also. But please, keep the 5th away from me, unless it's Walter Murphy's version of course. Then it's okay.