A tourist was walking through a cemetery in Vienna and all of a sudden he heard music. No one was around, so he started searching for the source.
He finally located the origin and found it was coming from a grave with a headstone that read: "Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770- 1827". Then he realized that the music was Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and it was being played backwards !
Puzzled, he left the graveyard and persuaded a friend to return with him.
By the time they arrive back at the grave, the music had changed. This time it was the Seventh Symphony, but like the previous piece, it was being played backwards.
Curious, the men agreed to consult a music scholar. When they return with the expert, the Fifth Symphony was playing and again, backwards.
The expert noticed that the symphonies were being played in the reverse order in which they were written, the 9th, then the 7th, then the 5th.
By the next day the word had spread, and a crowd gathered around the grave.
They were all listening to the Second Symphony being played backwards, just then the graveyard caretaker ambled up to the group.
Someone in the group asked him if he has an explanation for the music.
"I would have thought it was obvious," the caretaker said,
He finally located the origin and found it was coming from a grave with a headstone that read: "Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770- 1827". Then he realized that the music was Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and it was being played backwards !
Puzzled, he left the graveyard and persuaded a friend to return with him.
By the time they arrive back at the grave, the music had changed. This time it was the Seventh Symphony, but like the previous piece, it was being played backwards.
Curious, the men agreed to consult a music scholar. When they return with the expert, the Fifth Symphony was playing and again, backwards.
The expert noticed that the symphonies were being played in the reverse order in which they were written, the 9th, then the 7th, then the 5th.
By the next day the word had spread, and a crowd gathered around the grave.
They were all listening to the Second Symphony being played backwards, just then the graveyard caretaker ambled up to the group.
Someone in the group asked him if he has an explanation for the music.
"I would have thought it was obvious," the caretaker said,
"He's decomposing."
Oy.
