Sometimes the smallest act of kindness can make a big difference. One little girl’s donation turned into the most popular performance of Ludwig van Beethoven’s music of all time. Thirty-six million viewers tuned in to see Evan Carmichael’s uplifting flash mob on “Ode to Joy.” The street performers’ feel-good rendition stopped shoppers in their tracks to watch the joyous music unfolding before them. And when the choir steps out of the crowd, get ready for goosebumps!
The uncredited orchestra that performs in the busy town square sure knows how to build up the tension. They build up “Ode to Joy” part by part, with the additional musicians appearing out of the crowd until the layers combine to create a breathtaking masterpiece. The Music Man has to say that beyond the heavenly melodies, half the beauty of the performance is watching the crowd’s awed reaction.
YouTuber Evan Carmichael uploaded the “Ode to Joy” flash mob to his channel. It soon became not only the most viewed Beethoven song on YouTube, but also the most viewed live classical performance on the whole platform. Viewers loved the inspiring energy, and added comments such as “Am I the only one who comes back and watches this every few months?” and “I cry every time I see it and every time I listen to it.”
There are some truly epic classical flashmobs on YouTube. One of the greatest came when clarinetist Raphaël Froissart captured a magical street performance of Antonio Vivaldi’s “Winter.” This flashmob was notable for not only the incredible musical performances but also the impressive feats of pan flute player Michel Tirabosco. Michel was born with atrophied arms, but he wasn’t gonna let that stop him from becoming a world-class flute virtuoso!
“Ode to Joy” began as a poem written by German poet Friedrich Schiller in 1785. The Music Man readers may recall that the most famous use of the poem was by Ludwig van Beethoven, who integrated the lyrics in the final movement of his Ninth Symphony. Beethoven rewrote part of the text to “Ode to Joy” for inclusion in his symphony and also added new sections.
Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” has become one of the most recognized and culturally relevant musical pieces, not only in classical but across all of music. It has been used often as a song of remembrance, protest song, patriotic anthem, and national anthem. Notable examples of the latter include its choice as the Anthem of Europe and the anthem of the European Union.