Ode to Joy

One of Cleveland's greatest cultural treasures is its orchestra.  The Cleveland Orchestra is ranked as one of the finest in the world, consistently listed with the likes of the Vienna Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic.  Sadly, since the beginning of the pandemic in March its concerts have been cancelled.  However, to bring a bit of joy to us all during this stressful time, the orchestra made a special video which appears on YouTube.  The video is a montage of orchestra and chorus members performing the finale of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (the "Ode to Joy" with words by the German poet Schiller).  They are shown in a variety of locations throughout the Cleveland area such as Severance Hall (the orchestra's concert hall), the Cleveland Museum of Art, Public Square in downtown Cleveland, and Blossom Music Center (the orchestra's summer home).  

(image taken from the web)

The film clips are masterfully woven together to make it appear that the musicians are all performing together.  The audio baseline is taken from a 2018 concert at Severance Hall, a spectacular performance which I attended.

Below is a link to this glorious YouTube video.  Take four minutes of your time to listen and watch, preferably on your computer in full screen mode rather than on your cell phone, or even better if you can hook your laptop up to your TV.

The Cleveland Orchestra - The Ode to Joy

This video fills me with pride in being a Clevelander!