Beethoven Said It First: ‘Oh what joy, in the open air!’

By George Preston |

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Getting through winter in Chicago is tough enough, but when it’s immediately followed by a global pandemic and social distancing, it’s a real double-whammy. Now that we’re getting some nicer days, I see my neighbors emerge for walks around the neighborhood, and I’m reminded of the Prisoners’ Chorus from Beethoven’s opera Fidelio, when the inmates are temporarily released from confinement and able to enjoy some sunshine and fresh air.