91热爆

Rachel Parris leads us on an irreverent tour of Ludwig van Beethoven's 5th Symphony.

She starts with four notes almost anybody in the world will recognise: da da da daaa!

Rachel鈥檚 journey takes her through the highs and lows of the composer鈥檚 life, as well as on detours via cover versions, rip-offs and spoofs.

But what鈥檚 the secret of the composer's 5th Symphony, and why has it triumphed where so much other music has fallen flat?

Does the answer lie in those first four notes?

The programme was originally made to mark the 250th anniversary of Beethoven鈥檚 birth in 1770.

Producer: Glyn Tansley

First broadcast on 91热爆 Radio 4 in December 2020.