Helmut Lachenmann talks about the German broadcast of the 5th symphony of Beethoven after the news about the defeat in Stalingrad as if it was yesterday. This experience of the nine-year-old boy left a lasting impression on the works of the later composer. Today, nearly 70 years after Stalingrad, the sound figure of Beethoven’s symphony might have slightly changed – but it comes to the question to what extent historic knowledge and the knowledge about the intention of the composer influences the immediate act of hearing. A conversation with the composer Helmut Lachenman, Mark Andre and the philosopher JeanLuc Nancy.