‘ Pulse of Europe ’ - Flash Mob - Symphony. Schiller ’ s Ode to Joy and Beethoven ’ s Ninth Symphony as Soundtrack at Public ‘ Stagings ’ of Europe Antonia Egel (Salzburg) This article describes the use of Beethoven ’ s 9th symphony (mostly along with Schiller ’ s text) as a soundtrack when it comes to stagings of Europe in public space. It investigates a wide spectrum of musical idioms ranging from more or less spontaneously sung melodies to neatly choreographed flash mobs as well as to high-end performances of the symphony, which also provides the official anthem of the European Union. The essay shows that Beethoven ’ s music has - notwithstanding the fact that it has been used politically for worst - an openness in itself that allows it to be taken it as a symbol for a modern and pluralized society. The fact that it is a choral piece, in which the chorus can be understood as a congregation of many different individuals, allows it to be seen perhaps as an adequate “ instrument ” of pluralism. Thinking of Europe as a theatre and as a theatre stage is not new, nor is it linked to Europe as it took shape as the European Union in a legal sense. After World War I, the devastation was what shocked nations and citizens all over the continent. As we all know, it was not then, that Europe was shaped as a Union that was constituted first of all by its peaceful aims. Already at that time, however, the idea of a united Europe in which a nation would never again raise weapons against another, was in the air and it was theatre imagery that was used to illustrate this idea. In the only volume of Europa-Almanach edited by Carl Einstein and Paul Westheim in 1925, the opening essay by Hermann Kassack is called “ Fair Europe (Jahrmarkt Europa) ” . According to the author this “ Fair ” was transformed out of a “ scene (Schauplatz) ” : “ See: the theatre Europe becomes a fair - Bravo! ” 1 What was meant as a political satire about attempts to create a “ United States of Europe ” plays on two possibilities of staging: the “ scene ” , that is to say as theatron is a defined space where planned action takes place in order to present it to a (mostly seated) audience, and the “ fair ” , characterized by a great variety of shows available at the same time, where people can stroll along and make their halt or not. Consequently, Kassack calls for simultaneity. Staging Europe, in his view, means showing all different types of arts at the same time and differs from the other homogenously understood United States of Europe. The arts in their variety and incommensurability make the “ fair of Europe ” . At least, public acclamation remains the same: “ Bravo! ” In the same volume it is Oskar Schlemmer, who claims a “ new infancy of the theatre ” (eine “ neue Kindheit des Theaters ” ). This “ new infancy ” could, in his view, be dance as a form of theatre that precedes all language and precedes all local color. Unfortunately, his point is not a supranational theatre but a “ German ballet ” , which has been untouched by other European traditions: The ‘ Triadic Ballet ’ , started before the war, and because of the war foiled in its further development for years, hence could have its debut performance only in 1922. Despite it Forum Modernes Theater, 31/ 1-2 (2020), 142 - 149. Gunter Narr Verlag Tübingen DOI 10.2357/ FMTh-2020-0013 was to represent a complete whole it was meant to be the beginning of how a German Ballet could be formed, without finding itself dependent on of course admirable but at the same time alien parallels of other nations. (Translation AE) 2 This volume, also called „ Panoptikum “ by Kassack, is meant to present all different voices from all different arts to present Europe rather than to talk about it. Like Schlemmer, André Gide also calls for a new infancy or childhood. It is time, thinks Gide, to return to a childlike attitude ( “ kindliche Haltung “ ) that is to be found in what he calls the “ old china ” which, at that same moment, is about to vanish, as he clearly sees. After the devastating war, there seemed to be a longing for a reset, for starting anew, for having a second chance with a new “ childhood ” . Bertolt Brecht ’ s “ Ballade von der Freundschaft ” 3 and the advertisement for Beethovens ’ s symphonies 4 in the same volume implicitly recall the Europe of humanism and friendship in the sense of the ideals of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution. André Gide published a text in 1925, which still remains timely today: From now on none of Europe ’ s countries is able to aim at real progress concerning its own culture in isolation and without other countries indirectly cooperating with them, and [. . .] in respect to politics, to economics and to industry - in every respect - Europe is going toward its destruction [. . .], if every country in Europe has in mind only its own salvation. Dotingness to nationalism: it also is contrary to the deindividualization that internationalism aims at [. . .]. Being most individual, one serves best to common interest; and this holds true for countries as well as for individuals. But this truth must be amplified by the following: in abdication of oneself one finds oneself. (Translation AE) 5 Gide does not plead for a United Europe in a simplistic way. Rather, he clearly marks the difficulties to be considered in bringing together collective interests with individual interests. His suggestion does not appear very complicated: Be yourself and common sense will be a better one. Only, as he adds, being yourself means to forget yourself. It was Friedrich Nietzsche, who laid out the dialectic between the most individualistic attitude, figured through Apollo, and its negation, figured through Dionysus. Forgetting oneself could be interpreted in a Nietzschean, thus Dionysian way, then the individual would completely vanish in collective chaos. Gide takes up in a moderate fashion what Nietzsche expresses immoderately - describing the Ode to Joy of Beethoven ’ s Ninth Symphony - as a drastic image of millions of people dissolving into dust. 6 Neglecting oneself ( “ Verzicht auf sich ” ) does not necessarily mean Dionysian chaos, but maybe simply the ability for a moment to take the other or the collective interest as more important than oneself. How can this be achieved? It is this contradiction that is at stake when it comes to choral staging. Thus, choral staging is an appropriate object to analyse when investigating how mediation between the individual and the collective functions. Since the question in this volume is that of staging Europe, I will investigate how Beethoven ’ s Ninth Symphony, which also provides the music for the European Union ’ s anthem, is staged in an explicitly European context. I will focus on concerts as well as flash mobs, and “ staging ” Europe by more or less spontaneous performances in which “ Beethoven ” is sung as well. Let us begin with the latter. In 2016, an association called ‘ Pulse of Europe ’ was started in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. In the face of increasing nationalism throughout Europe and also in the USA, a couple from Frankfurt wanted to bring together people who appreciate a united Europe in contrast to separatism and na- 143 ‘ Pulse of Europe ’ - Flash Mob - Symphony tionalism. In 2016 and 2017, demonstrations spread widely, especially in Germany. They also spread in other countries of Europe. Meanwhile ‘ Pulse of Europe ’ was awarded with many prizes and it is regarded as an important voice with respect to civil engagement with politics. 7 How is Europe staged in the context of ‘ Pulse of Europe ’ demonstrations? First of all, the movement emphasizes plurality and it seems that this is also essential for the aesthetics of the gatherings. When I describe them in the following, I am describing gatherings documented on the Web, so, of course, not every single gathering that took place is covered. Rather, I try to identify general common features in the different gatherings in different towns that are documented. Of course, this means trying to make generalizations about a movement that does not remain static, but develops and changes all the time, because the process of shaping its identity and goals still goes on. But, maybe this is already part of staging Europe in this special instance? In these cases, Europe is, first of all, staged as a dynamic process. It is participative and in a certain way chaotic, and it is supposed to be this way. Everyone is called to take part in the movement. Everyone is allowed to start the movement in her or his hometown, and programming schedules for the gatherings are open to any sort of ideas how to “ stage ” Europe. This is the presupposition. Thus, it is even more interesting to see that there is a set of elements and prerequisites that appear on stage almost every time. There are the colors: yellow and blue. There are the flags, some used like capes, wound around the bodies of demonstrating people or there are small paper pennants, or hats that are decorated with yellow stars on a blue background and so on. In addition, there are also people who color their faces in yellow and blue in a way that recalls football or soccer games. Rarely, there is a discernable choreography for the gatherings. People usually gather in a loose circle, listening to speakers and talking to one another. Many of the gatherings end with Schiller ’ s Ode to Joy. It is this part of the “ staging ” that I want to look at more closely now. Very often people appear to start singing spontaneously, and very often, not really good music results. This, very likely is also not the intention of those who start singing. Those who know the music and/ or the text join in. Those who don ’ t, just listen. Sometimes people come along, and not a part of the demonstrating group, they come to a halt, amazed to hear Beethoven ’ s melody or just by the fact that a group of people is singing in the streets. Sometimes, the music is amplified through loudspeakers and people can join with their voices or not. 8 At the ‘ Pulse of Europe ’ gathering in Cologne on April 3, 2017, everyone brought his or her instrument from home, and together people played the melody of the anthem. The result is quite cacophonic and so it does indeed show diversity. 9 In Aschaffenburg, a soloist sang the melody. 10 One time, the same soloist was accompanied by an orchestra of high school students. 11 This orchestra followed a model of staging Beethoven flash mobs promoting Europe that is older than ‘ Pulse of Europe ’ . On the Web, three such flash mobs were highly popular. For years almost the only ones to be seen at all: Nürnberg 12 , Leipzig 13 , and, above all, Sabadell (May 19, 2012) 14 . In recent months, however, more were added, like the one at Heidelberger Frühling in the “ mensa ” of the University 15 and most recently, the one at the marketplace in Dornbirn in the Austrian province of Vorarlberg 16 . All of these flash mobs are choreographed with great attention. They are performed by highly professional orchestras and they are sponsored, e. g. by Banc Sabadell (Sabadell), by Evenord-Bank 144 Antonia Egel Nürnberg (Nürnberg) and by Wirtschaftskammer Vorarlberg/ Industriellenvereinigung Vorarlberg/ Land Vorarlberg (Dornbirn). In all these cases, what at the first glance appears to be and is intended to appear to be spontaneous action is of course very wellplanned, well-performed and also filmed in a professional manner. From 2012 (Sabadell) to 2018 (Dornbirn), there is a noticeable change that is directly related to the political situation of Europe. In the age of Brexit and of obvious nationalism, the initiative in Vorarlberg explicitly links itself to European politics. The flash mob at Dornbirn market in 2018 is advertised as “ Event on the occasion of the EU-council Presidency of Austria (Aktion anlässlich des Starts der EU- Ratspräsidentschaft Österreichs) ” and accompanied by the slogan: “ We are Europe (Wir sind Europa) ” . The Sabadell flash mob from 2012, in contrast, appears to be a statement promoting Europe that is also, at the same time, a statement promoting the welfare of that Catalonian town. (The anthem is sung in a Catalonian version, called “ Himne de l ’ Alegria ” .) With respect to staging, it is clear that the Sabadell flash mob shaped the setting of all “ professional ” flash mobs to come. The event starts with one instrument, which given the musical score is either a double bass or a cello. At first, the player seems to be a street-musician, which is signaled so by a hat or an instrument-case placed in front of her or him. At some point someone, usually a child, puts a coin into the case and this serves as a starting point for to begin the final section of Beethoven ’ s Ninth Symphony. Other instruments join in, as if they come out of nowhere, and the gathered people reveal themselves to be, for the most part, a professional choir. As the music continues, the camera shows people who appear to be full of astonishment looking into the open sky as if they were remembering something very beautiful from their childhood. The camera shows children who are full of excitement. One set element is that a child climbs onto a streetlight pole in order to see the orchestra better. At the point when the music (with or without words) speaks of friendship and love, the camera zooms in on a couple or another scene of affectionate closeness. Of course, people in the streets pause to see what is going on. Some join the singing choir. Others just listen and at the end, everyone seems to be full of joy and everyone applauds for everyone. These stagings of Europe, or more precisely of the finale of Beethoven ’ s Ninth Symphony, render visible a moment of peaceful community that emerges, as it would seem, from nowhere, evoked by music, the universal language, and that integrates everyone passing by, gathering a colorful ordinary group of people joined together as one by a welltrained orchestra performing, not in a concert hall, but in the middle of town. As indicated earlier, these flash mobs are taken as models for ‘ Pulse of Europe ’ gatherings. They are, for instance, imitated by a school orchestra or a group of people just bringing their instruments from home. These events, and I assume this is done deliberately, are not very well choreographed and the musicians are not professionals, and few of the films of these events would meet professional standards. They are recorded on smart phones, with the result that often only one voice, probably the voice of the person recording, can be heard. 17 The rather unprofessional nature of such gatherings is, I believe, intentional, because the movement is supposed to stay independent from parties or sponsoring banks, and the movement is also intended to be for all people based on the grassroots idea that invites everyone to “ stage ” his or her Europe. Finally, unconventional performances of the Ode to Joy can be heard as well, like the example from Karlsruhe. 18 145 ‘ Pulse of Europe ’ - Flash Mob - Symphony Performances of Beethoven ’ s Ninth Symphony have historically been linked to politics in as many different ways as politics can devise. After World War II, however, this piece of music was also linked in a special way to the EU and to European integration. 19 While the anthem for the European Union is based on Beethoven ’ s finale, it is an arrangement for brass-ensemble by Herbert von Karajan, 20 which is rarely heard as such. The chorus of the finale has only recently been sung publicly very often, and more or less in tune, as a symbol of people ’ s commitment to the European Union. Whereas the anthem was arranged and meant to be a piece of music without text, 21 , the chorus sung in public most often uses Schiller ’ s words, often in German, regardless of the place 22 . Long before there was an anthem at all and before people started to even know about it, Beethoven ’ s Ninth Symphony was played in concert in order to celebrate freedom, peace and friendship after a century of war and devastation on the continent. 23 Before the anthem was decided upon, there had been “ rudimentary a tradition “ 24 , linking the idea of Europe with Beethoven ’ s music. Esteban Buch shows in detail how difficult it was for the Council of Europe to find a “ European “ anthem. The decision to not put Beethoven ’ s music together with Schiller ’ s text did not stem from the idea of favoring the universal language of music. Instead, it stemmed from the idea that Schiller ’ s (and Beethoven ’ s) ideas were too universally “ universal ” : As to the text of such an anthem, certain reservations were articulated, and first in respect to the actual wording of the ode to joy, which is no specific European creed, but rather a universal one. (Translation AE) 25 The Council was in search of nothing less than a creed - not a religious one or a universally European one. They were looking for an anthem that would not just prolong the tradition of national anthems. At the same time, however, in their discussions regarding European symbols, they stuck to the models for a nation or maybe a united nation. Being universal and thus humanist, Beethoven ’ s music and Schiller ’ s text very likely transcend this idea, despite the ways they had been instrumentalized for nationalistic and totalitarian purposes. If so, the council would have outwitted itself by choosing a universal piece of music that still lacked a creed as an anthem to be played whenever Europe presented itself or whenever Europe would be staged. Could they have anticipated that virtually everyone around the globe would remember the words to this melody in no matter what language and thus, at least inwardly, would be huming a universal creed for mankind, rather than a “ European ” creed? Of course, it has always been the openness of this creed that allowed it to be used as a symbol for one nation and also for communist internationalism. 26 At the same time, it was this openness that always transcended and rejected all attempts to instrumentalize it. If Europeans today stage ‘ their Europe ’ singing more or less in tune Beethoven and Schiller ’ s Ode to Joy, they are structurally singing of universal values that transcend an exclusively European creed. Consciously or not, the founding mothers and fathers did well to not fill in the text for this anthem. They did not and could not know which one to choose and maybe the universal one is not the worst choice. In the same sense, the open field on which the golden stars of Europe appear, was also something that was not intended. The Council argued that one day a European symbol could be placed there, 27 but today, it is just the symbol of the EU as an open field that holds its stars together but at the same time remains undefined. At that time, the Council talked about the “ blue sky of the West ” 28 - maybe today we could think of it as a blue sky that is a blue sky all over the globe? 146 Antonia Egel Accordingly, a Europe that reflects upon its identity has to solve exactly the problem that Gide posed in 1925. Such a Europe needs to be self-aware and individualistic and at the same time it should be willing to integrate many different interests in the universal interest of peace and freedom everywhere on Earth. If we follow Gide ’ s line of thought, we would neither be denying ourselves nor our identity as Europe. At the same time, we would need to refrain from defining this identity as if it were a national identity. 29 The problems facing the founding fathers and mothers of the European symbols might be to our advantage today. Staging Europe as a chorus might serve as an appropriate image for this. A chorus is formed by individuals that find harmony together in a unit of sound that is not homogenous, but rather as a common sound is differentiated in many ways. Beethoven ’ s Ninth Symphony is, in particular, a piece of music that remains so complex and diverse that it is, in the strongest sense of the term, incommensurable. It needs to be heard and interpreted repeatedly in order to be understood, perhaps, increasingly, and also to understand that it is not to be understood fully by a person and in a single lifetime. 30 Thus, Beethoven ’ s piece of music is much more than the melody of its finale. If we sing or play this melody as an anthem, we should be aware of the whole symphony. 31 Maybe as a whole, it offers a true picture of Europe ’ s devastating past and as such, also a picture of the hope we can have in and for our times, not simply for Europe but for mankind, a hope that it might be possible to overcome war and devastation. Staging Europe as a true chorus of as many voices as voices could exist without neglecting a single singer and still managing a pleasant sound in the end is no small task, nor one easily achieved. In this respect, public performances of Beethoven ’ s Ninth Symphony also play an important role in staging Europe. In 2018, the European Central Bank together with hr- Sinfonieorchester staged an “ Europa-Open- Air ” . 32 Beethoven was not the only music on the program — and because of weather conditions, it was not performed. Instead, a great variety of music from all over the world that in some way celebrated the special guest, Lithuania was on the program. This seems to be part of an orchestra ’ s program to go out and reach people in the streets and in public spaces as well as a program of one of Europe ’ s most important institutions to go into the streets and directly meet the people there. When announcing the concert, Mario Draghi emphasized the role of music and culture as moments of connection in times when politics appeared to pull people apart more than join them together. So, music appears to function as politics in a direct way at the same time as music as such plays the major role. It is the art of musicians and conductors to let the music speak for itself rather than to make the music dance to a given tune. 33 So, whenever Beethoven ’ s Ninth Symphony or other great music is played and sung as a contribution to its incommensurability, there is openness to be experienced that perhaps will change people in a very silent way, which only the individual listening will be aware of, or maybe it will not change them. It is this openness that is the challenge. Notes 1 Hermann Kassack, “ Jahrmarkt Europa ” , in: Europa-Almanach 1 (1925), pp. 5 - 6, here p. 6: „ Schauplatz Europa wird ein Jahrmarkt - Bravo! “ 2 Oskar Schlemmer, “ Der theatralische Kostümtanz “ , in: Europa-Almanach 1 (1925), pp. 189 - 191, here p. 191: “ Das triadische Ballett, vor dem Krieg begonnen, durch diesen in der Weiterarbeit auf Jahre vereitelt, konnte infolgedessen erst 1922 seine Uraufführung erleben. Es sollte - obwohl ein 147 ‘ Pulse of Europe ’ - Flash Mob - Symphony geschlossenes Ganzes darstellend - den Anfang dessen bedeuten, wie ein deutsches Ballett zu gestalten wäre, ohne in die Abhängigkeit von zwar bewundernswerten aber doch wesensfremden Parallelerscheinungen anderer Nationen zu geraten. ” 3 Bertolt Brecht, “ Ballade von der Freundschaft ” , in: Europa-Almanach 1 (1925), p. 21. 4 See Europa-Almanach 1 (1925), p. 285. 5 André Gide, “ Europas Zukunft ” , in: Europa- Almanach 1 (1925), pp. 24 - 33, here p. 33: “ Kein Land Europas (kann) von nun ab nach wirklichem Fortschritt seiner eigenen Kultur streben, wenn es sich isoliert und andere Länder nicht indirekt mitarbeiten, und (. . .) in politischer, ökonomischer und industrieller Hinsicht - in jeder Hinsicht - (geht) ganz Europa dem Untergang entgegen (. . .), wenn jedes Land Europas nur sein eigenes Heil ins Auge zu fassen gedenkt. Vernarrtheit in dem (sic! ) Nationalismus: er widersetzt sich auch der Entpersönlichung, die der Internationalismus erstrebt. [. . .]. Indem man am individuellsten ist, dient man dem allgemeinen Interesse am besten; und das ist für Länder ebenso wahr wie für Individuen. Aber diese Wahrheit muß durch die folgende verstärkt werden: Im Verzicht auf sich findet man sich. ” 6 Friedrich Nietzsche, Die Geburt der Tragödie aus dem Geiste der Musik, KSA I, pp. 29 - 30. 7 See https: / / pulseofeurope.eu [accessed 30 September 2019]. 8 Düsseldorf, 11th of May 2017: https: / / www. youtube.com/ watch? v=P7ZyUfRBMl4 [accessed 30 September 2019]. 9 See: https: / / www.youtube.com/ watch? v=q2b LHyYaK6M [accessed 30 September 2019]. 10 https: / / www.youtube.com/ watch? v=bZUx OKdfdeE [accessed 30 September 2019]. 11 https: / / www.youtube.com/ watch? v=R1e1zC w2Tv4 [accessed 30 September 2019]. 12 https: / / www.youtube.com/ watch? v=a23945b tJYw [accessed 30 September 2019]. 13 https: / / www.youtube.com/ watch? v=ZxUm q2tOQ2Q [accessed 30 September 2019]. 14 https: / / www.youtube.com/ watch? v=GBaHP ND2QJg [accessed 30 September 2019]. 15 https: / / www.youtube.com/ watch? v=_qjiV m6Lzdc [accessed 30 September 2019]. 16 https: / / www.youtube.com/ watch? v=QwL F68ue0Bg [accessed 30 September 2019]. 17 See for instance: https: / / www.youtube.com/ watch? v=P7ZyUfRBMl4 [accessed 30 September 2019]. 18 https: / / www.youtube.com/ watch? v=7bcxY bIzR0c [accessed 30 September 2019]. 19 See Andreas Eichhorn, Beethovens Neunte Symphonie. Die Geschichte ihrer Aufführung und Rezeption, Kassel 1993, especially pp. 289 - 339 and Esteban Buch, Beethovens Neunte. Eine Biographie. Aus dem Französischen von Silke Hass, Berlin/ München 2000, and also Dieter Hildebrandt, Die Neunte. Schiller, Beethoven und die Geschichte eines musikalischen Welterfolgs, München/ Wien 2005. 20 https: / / europa.eu/ european-union/ sites/ euro paeu/ files/ docs/ body/ european-anthem-20 12.mp3 [accessed 30 September 2019]. It is worth listening to this version attentively. It is an excerpt from Beethoven ’ s finale and it is rather quiet, perhaps even a little hesitant. Karajan knew what he was doing, when he put it like that, removing all the pathos. 21 See Buch, Beethovens Neunte, pp. 301 - 303. 22 See for instance 24 June 2016 in London: https: / / www.classicfm.com/ composers/ bee thoven/ news/ ode-to-joy-brexit-protest-lon don/ [accessed 30 September 2019]. 23 This was done most famously by Leonard Bernstein in Berlin for Christmas in 1989. He put together an orchestra of musicians from the West and the East and broadcasted the concert to the whole world, changing the word „ Freude “ to the word „ Freiheit “ . See: https: / / www.youtube.com/ watch? v=IInG5 nY_wrU [accessed 30 September 2019]. 24 “ Europarat, Beschluß 492 ” (1971), zitiert nach Buch, Beethovens Neunte, p. 301: „ ansatzweise eine Tradition “ . 25 “ Europarat, Beschluß 492 ” (1971), zitiert nach Buch, Beethovens Neunte, p. 302: „ Was den Text für eine solche Hymne anbelangt, wurden gewisse Vorbehalte, zunächst hinsichtlich des aktuellen Wortlauts der Ode an die Freude, geäußert, der kein spezifisch 148 Antonia Egel europäisches Glaubensbekenntnis darstellt, sondern eher ein universelles. “ 26 See Buch, Beethovens Neunte, p. 295. 27 See Markus Göldner, Politische Symbole der europäischen Integration, Frankfurt a. M. u. a. 1988, pp. 33 - 84, esp. p. 81. 28 See ibid., p. 82. 29 Some expressions, for instance, from the European Union remind us of expressions familiar from nationalism. This, of course, is not what the movement aims to do, but by trying to strengthen European identity with the best intentions, it adopted, probably unconciously, symbols and statements of national identity. For instance the slogan „ mit europäischen Grüßen “ (see for instance www.eud-freiburg.eu/ über-uns/ ) was taken from „ mit deutschem Gruß “ . Only the adjective was changed. As shown above, the European Council was also thinking in terms of national identity while they were searching for European symbols. Because there were none to be find in this way, they left it open. Why don ’ t we now chose this openness as shaping and living European identity? 30 See David B. Green, The Imagining of Community in Works of Beethoven, Verdi, and Shostakovich, New York et al. 2010, p. 127. 31 Dieter Hildebrandt argues that we should understand Beethoven ’ s symphony as a „ Hymnus auf die Vergeblichkeit “ (Hildebrandt, Die Neunte, p. 347). Maybe, if we understand this, the music, including all the disappointments and horrors it also shows, can once again be a symbol of hope. Without hope, we cannot move on. The less this hope neglects the horrors of history and of present day, the stronger it can perhaps be. For the incommensurability of Beethoven ’ s symphony, see also David B. Green, The Imagining of Community in Works of Beethoven, Verdi, and Shostakovich, New York et al. 2010, p. 168. 32 See https: / / www.youtube.com/ watch? v=48w 5IO6dNmw [accessed 30 September 2019]. 33 Ricardo Muti, for instances, stages the symphony with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as an intense promise that this might be possbile, this harmony, but also as an illustration of how unlikely it is. https: / / www.youtube.com/ watch? v=rOjHhS5MtvA [accessed 30 September 2019]. 149 ‘ Pulse of Europe ’ - Flash Mob - Symphony