Glenn Miller wrote:

>Can someone explain to me how Beethoven could not figure out that the
>performance was over, that he was still beating time, and the soprano had
>to turn him around to face the wildly applauding audience.  I have read
>several versions of the story and none of them make sense.

Beethoven 9th premiere was conducted by Michael Umfaul.  A soloist turn
Beethoven round to face the audience not because he was unaware the
performance was over (he was deaf, not blind), but because he was unaware
of the applause.

Paul-Andre Perron
Quebec