overture
Shows Lyrics
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The city of Vienna is experiencing the largest lightning storm in its long history.
Within a large disheveled room,
Ludwig Von Beethoven is slumped over his piano
And on the piano sits the just completed manuscript for his tenth symphony.
It is his final, and he is certain, his greatest work.]
Since the time when ra and isis
And apollo dreamed athena
And men began to understand
That when darkness folds on darkness
In the restless tides of night
And lightning raises shadows
And for moments gives them life
It's been said by those who ponder
That it surely is a sign
That a life touched by the stars
Is now running out of time
And that somewhere in that darkness
In the heart of that great storm
The world returns a soul
That the gods caused to be born
And this was such a storm
The kind one rarely sees in life
For in a room now filled with shadows
The great Beethoven was spending
His last night
[From the shadows a beautiful spirit, fate,
And her deformed dwarf son, twist,
Emerge to inform Beethoven of what he has already deeply suspected,
That this is to be his last night on earth.
They are accompanied by numerous spirits and ghosts from his past.]
The lyrics of Shows's song "Overture" describe a deeply emotional moment in the life of the legendary composer, Ludwig Von Beethoven. The city of Vienna is experiencing a massive thunderstorm, and Beethoven is in a large room, slumped over his piano, with the manuscript for his final, and greatest work, sitting atop it. He is certain that he will not live to see the debut of this last symphony. The storm itself serves as a metaphor for life and death, as thunder and lightning play across the sky while Beethoven battles with the final notes of his masterpiece.
The scene is both melancholy and powerful, with the finality of Beethoven's impending death contrasting with the raw emotion of his music. The arrival of Fate and her deformed dwarf son, Twist, along with spirits and ghosts from his past, emphasizes just how important Beethoven's life and work have been. Fate herself confirms what Beethoven has already known – his time on earth is coming to an end. The fact that this moment takes place during such a remarkable storm further underscores both the significance of the composer's life and the beauty of his final creation.
Line by Line Meaning
On a late night in the spring of 1827
At a time when darkness had already folded on darkness
The city of Vienna is experiencing the largest lightning storm in its long history.
A great storm is raging through the restless tides of night in the city of Vienna
Within a large disheveled room,
Amidst the shadows that filled the room
Ludwig Von Beethoven is slumped over his piano
The great Beethoven was spending some time slumped over his piano
And on the piano sits the just completed manuscript for his tenth symphony.
The manuscript for his tenth symphony lay right in front of him
It is his final, and he is certain, his greatest work.
He was certain that this was his final and greatest work
From the shadows a beautiful spirit, fate,
From the darkness emerged the beautiful spirit Fate
And her deformed dwarf son, twist,
Accompanied by her deformed dwarf son, Twist
Emerge to inform Beethoven of what he has already deeply suspected,
They came to tell Beethoven what he was already suspecting
That this is to be his last night on earth.
That this very night would be his last on earth
They are accompanied by numerous spirits and ghosts from his past.
Numerous spirits and ghosts that had once been part of his life accompanied them
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JIMMY HOROWITZ, ROBIN MILLER, LEO ROST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@groovygirl23
If this doesn't give you goosebumps, your heart is full of stuffing!
@jjmboston5832
mine is full of sawdust. Enjoyed it though...
@MartyNemko1
Just incredible---the arranger, orchestrator, the players, the mic'ing, the mix, OMG!!!! THIS is music at its finest, and I speak as a professional pianist.
@Mrdevil26
I miss musical theatre... I just cried all the way through this... every single piece of music reminds me of being in all those WestEnd and Broadway theatres...
What an insane job all of you guys did... I just want to hug the arranger and sound engineer. ❤️❤️❤️
@antoniwilson7750
I have lost count home many times I’ve watched this, the la cage and Joseph parts are my fav I wish I could just have both of them
@robertruyle583
True excellence! Arrangements, musicians, audio and video post production. What a collection of talent. Thanks for the memories.
@garymortimer1482
This is absolutely BRILLIANT how you Alan Williams put it all together and those wonderful musicians. It not only made my day, it thrilled me all over, made me smile, touch my chest as if I was touching my heart with so many wonderful memories and my love of theatre, not only going to see musicals & hearing them, but acting and singing in them as well. This amazing collections of virtual musicians also brought me tears of happiness! Thank you Alan Williams and ALL of you incredible musicians!
@arthurboehm
I've now listened to this 3,456,786, 241 times. I don't see myself stopping. Bravo to all (and a special thank you for "mambo!") .
@alisonbrown2614
Fantastic. What talent we have. I hope all you darling people get back to what you live for very soon.
@patfenaughty6365
This has to be one of my absolute favorite orchestral medleys I've ever heard. I keep coming back to watch it