On December 1st, 1994, a rare music dealer hustled through the London rain to make it to an auction held at Sotheby's.

I know, most classical music stories don't start in the mid 90s, but stay with me here.

This music dealer, he was on a mission. Some clients had pulled their money and had asked him to make a very specific purchase.

He was to bid on Lot 33, a small black locket.

The auctioneer opened the bidding at 2,000 pounds. That's about $5,000 today. The price took

off from there, edging up and up and up, but the music dealer stayed in the bidding and he clinched the deal.

His winning offer was nearly $10,000, about double where they started. Lot 33 was one.

The pricey little locket was bound for the United States.

The buyers were waiting.

They didn't just want the locket.

They wanted what it was holding. Tucked inside was a strand of Ludwig

Van Beethoven's hair. I'm Jade Simmons and this is Decomposed. We bring you the stories that have shaped classical music, the heartbreaks, the betrayals, and the acts of sheer genius that changed everything.

Now, you know Beethoven.

He's the biggest name in all of classical music. He's the guy people think of in this genre because he's everywhere.

If you learn to play the piano as a kid, I bet you spent hours playing this one.

I know I did.

The first Beethoven piece I remember truly mastering was the third movement of the Moonlight Sonata.

This finger buster. And of course there's, there's... And of course, there's...

Yeah.

And of course, there's...

Yeah. theirs. Yeah, that one.

Beethoven's story is one a lot of people think they know.

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