Disco Goes Classical: Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band – “A Fifth of Beethoven” and the Dancefloor Revolution
The opening notes are unmistakable. Da-da-da-dum. Four tones written in the early 1800s by Ludwig van Beethoven—arguably the most famous motif in classical music history—suddenly reappear in a completely different setting: beneath a pulsing bassline, wrapped in strings that shimmer like a mirrored disco ball, driven by a rhythm section built for Saturday night. The…
