The defiance of Ludwig van Beethoven and his "Ode to Joy"

When asked how important in the history of music is Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Beethoven biographer Jan Swafford replied, "It's immensely important. It's literally and metaphorically bigger than any other symphony – that's what it's intended to be. It's Beethoven's hug for the whole world." Audio-visual of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is provided courtesy of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and Riccardo Muti Music

And, said Swafford, it's no coincidence that the symphony's final movement, the triumphal "Ode to Joy," has long been a worldwide anthem of freedom and peace.

"Beethoven wanted to write an anthem for humanity with this little tune that anybody can sing," Swafford told correspondent Mo Rocca. "Probably half the population of the Earth knows that tune, whether they know it's by Beethoven or not."