Awesome Beethoven

If you can believe it, Chrysler once made a car with a record player. But skipped records while driving meant it didn’t last long. Nik from Supercar Blondie brought back the idea. Only this time, he turned the oversized wheel on a Mercedes Brabus G-Wagon into the turntable and hung an arm and stylus out the window to play some Beethoven.

Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik was written for a string ensemble. But violinist Roman Kim is an overachiever. His solo arrangement has him performing multiple parts on a single violin. He’s also done the same with Beethoven’s 5th. He says those prismatic glasses help him focus, but he can clearly play without them.

The electric bass guitar is one instrument that almost certainly wasn’t in Ludwig van Beethoven’s mind when he composed his music. Bassist Charles Berthoud proves that the composer’s melodies are so solid they work on any instrument. So click play and enjoy this funky bass arrangement of Bagatelle in A Minor, WoO 59, “Fur Elise.”

Guitarist Cole Rolland and drummer Kristina Schiano teamed up for this high-energy performance of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata (3rd Movement) that gives the classical piece new life as a hard rock song. Their other collaboration is entirely on the other end of the spectrum – Eiffel 65’s 1998 Europop hit Blue.

Working with recordings of The BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales, London DJ Beat a Maxx created a whole new sound for Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony that even incorporates scratching. Want to get in on the remixing fun? You can download samples to make your own music at Beethoven Remixed.

The Colorado Symphony had to postpone its performances, but that didn’t stop their members from performing together. They just had to do it from home. To help keep the music alive, they played the uplifting Ode to Joy from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Keep an eye on their #PlayOn playlist for more shelter-in-place performances.

Musician Peter Bence captured a live-looped sample of his performance of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, then used its energetic rhythm to segue into a version of AC/DC’s Thunderstruck, which features a similarly intense pace. The two compliment each other so well, you’d think they were one song.

Filmmaker Daniel McKee selected over 2,000 flags from throughout the ages, and painstakingly arranged and edited them so they not only blend between related colors and imagery, but so they lined up perfectly with the music of Beethoven.

Electronic musician Kaskobi brings classical music into the 21st century with a seriously danceworthy arrangement of Beethoven’s 19th century classic, in a battle between his Novation Launchpad and Launchkey digital music controllers.

The 2CELLOS take on Led Zeppelin and Beethoven’s classics in another one of their highly energetic stage performances. Or rather, two stage performances. Also, these guys must go through bows and strings like water.

Using a computer-controlled milling robot, Robotic Solutions transforms a non-descript block of blue styrofoam into a detailed bust of Ludwig van Beethoven, turn-by-turn, layer-by-layer.