If a music lover could buy a ticket to any public event in the past, there would be worse choices than the marathon concert held at Vienna’s Theater an der Wien 206 years ago on December 22, 1808. (Just be sure to pack a coat if you ever manage it.)

On the program: A night of premieres by the master himself, Ludwig van Beethoven. For the hardy souls who braved the early winter temperatures in the unheated theater and the four-hour running time, they were rewarded with being among the first ears to hear Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, the concluding Choral Fantasy (which brought all of the night’s musical elements – piano, chorus, and orchestra – together for a stirring finale), and not one but two symphonies….Beethoven’s Sixth, and probably the best known piece of classical music in existence, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.

You know Beethoven’s Fifth, whether you think you do or not. (Da-da-da-DAAAAA. Yep, that one.) The opening notes have been described by one Beethoven contemporary as death knocking at the door. The piece became known as the “V for Victory” Symphony for the Allies during World War II, thanks to some interesting coincidences: The four notes at the beginning recall Morse code for the letter “V.” The same letter represents the number 5 in Roman numerals, creating another connection with Beethoven’s Fifth. (The fact that Beethoven was German wasn’t lost on the Allies, as they used his symphony to rally their troops against the Nazis.)

Anyway, back to Vienna in 1808. The first public performance of Beethoven’s Fifth didn’t receive the immediate praise you might expect. But give the folks a break: It was cold; the piece didn’t begin until more than two hours into the bloated program (there were eight pieces on the bill in all, along with an intermission); and the orchestra was so under-rehearsed that Beethoven, who was both pianist and conductor for the night, had to stop one piece of music and start over. (Impressive, considering that he was almost deaf.)

The Fifth Symphony quickly got the recognition it deserved. (A review by E.T.A. Hoffman when Beethoven published the score described its drama with language like “radiant beams,” “gigantic shadows,” and “endless longing” – which just shows how much music meant to people 200 years ago.) And the people who packed into the Vienna theater for Beethoven’s mega-concert were the last crowd to see him take on something so ambitious. He would never conduct an orchestra and play a piano solo on the same night again. That’s worth a little frostbite, no?