A 191-Year-Old Symphony Could Boost Your Heart's Health
The best ode to joy is probably the fourth movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. His "Ode to Joy." When Helen Keller felt his 9th Symphony, she said: "My heart almost stood still."
It is "arguably the single most recognizable piece of music of all time," according to upworthy.
The third movement of his Symphony No. 9 is also part of that piece of music, yet you've probably not heard it.
The fourth movement of his 9th Symphony gets a lot of adulation. Yet it's the third movement that is said to heal your heart.
Oxford University scientists say that "listening to the third movement of Beethoven's No. 9 might actually lower your blood pressure and help fight heart disease."
As The Telegraph put it: "Research presented to the the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) conference in Manchester found that listening to music with a repeated 10-second rhythm coincided with a fall in blood pressure, reducing the heart rate. Such recordings include Va Pensiero by Italian composer Giusuppe Verdi, Nessun Dorma by Giacomo Puccini and Beethoven's 9th Symphony adagio."
In another review in thetelegraph , "his music has always been heart-felt. There's no trace of irony, no holding things at a distance. His music is always burningly sincere, which is what makes it loveable. Beethoven said about his great Missa Solemnis, "From the heart may it go to the heart', and that phrase could be applied to any of his pieces. Hence, let's try it out. As you know, if Beethoven is "good for the heart, he's better for the soul."
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