Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)

The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 is the last complete symphony composed by Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1824, it includes part of the ode An die Freude ("Ode To Joy") by Friedrich Schiller, as text sung by soloists and a chorus in the last movement. It is the first example of a major composer using the human voice on the same level with instruments in a symphony.

Trivia

Performing the symphony

Lasting about 74 minutes in performance, the Ninth was an exceptionally long symphony for its time, although it has been exceeded in length (and, arguably, conceptual scope) by several later symphonies, most notably those of Bruckner and Mahler. Mahler's 2nd, 3rd and 8th, inspired by Beethoven, are very similar in conception and style due to their "grand" demeanors and extensive use of large choral and vocal forces.

Related Topics:
Bruckner - Mahler

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Beethoven's Ninth makes extreme demands on the singers, partly because his vocal writing seems designed to evoke a sense of effort, and partly because concert pitch is higher now than it was in Beethoven?s day. Thus, it is fairly rare to find a performance that is suitably forceful but avoids any hint of shrieking or shouting. Specialists in authentic performance have experimented with performing the work at Beethoven?s concert pitch, which seems to help somewhat.

Related Topics:
Concert pitch - Authentic performance

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A delicate issue conductors must face is the fact that Beethoven left metronome markings specifying the tempo of each section. Historically, conductors have been very reluctant to respect these markings, preferring, for example, a slower tempo than Beethoven's for the slow movement and a faster tempo for the military march section of the finale. In general, Beethoven's metronome markings have proven unpopular among modern artists, and the possibility that Beethoven was (despite his unquestioned abilities as a composer) an inept metronome user should perhaps not be excluded. Conductors in the authentic performance movement, notably Roger Norrington, have experimented with adhering to Beethoven's tempos, to mixed reviews.

Related Topics:
Metronome - Tempo - Roger Norrington

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Ninth Symphony in the 20th century

In 1964 Maurice Béjart and his Ballet du XXe siècle gave an acclaimed performance of "IXe symphonie", a ballet based on the Ninth Symphony.

Related Topics:
1964 - Maurice Béjart - Ballet du XXe siècle

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Among recorded performances, those conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler, especially those of 1942, 1951, and 1954, Herbert von Karajan, especially those of 1963 and 1976, Fritz Reiner, Leonard Bernstein, George Szell, and John Eliot Gardiner are highly regarded. Such judgments about musical performances are often biased or controversial. The musicologist Richard Taruskin has a detailed analysis and comparison of performances of Beethoven's 9th in his essay "Resisting the Ninth".

Related Topics:
Wilhelm Furtwängler - 1942 - 1951 - 1954 - Herbert von Karajan - 1963 - 1976 - Fritz Reiner - Leonard Bernstein - George Szell - John Eliot Gardiner

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The Ninth Symphony has frequently been incorporated into film scores, television, and popular music. For a list of instances, see Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in popular culture.

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At most Olympic games during the second half of the 20th Century, the fourth movement has been performed as part of ceremonial processions.

Related Topics:
Olympic games - 20th Century

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The symphony seems to have taken particularly deep root in Japan, where it is widely performed during December as part of the annual celebration of the new year.

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An adapted form of Beethoven's setting of Schiller's ode was chosen to be the European anthem first by the Council of Europe and later by the European Union.

Related Topics:
European anthem - Council of Europe - European Union

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Students in Beijing's Tiananmen Square protest broadcast the symphony through loudspeakers in 1989 as a statement against tyranny. A famous performance conducted by Leonard Bernstein on December 25, 1989 celebrated the fall of the Berlin Wall. It substituted Freiheit ("freedom") for Freude ("joy") in the sung text.

Related Topics:
Beijing - Tiananmen Square - 1989 - Leonard Bernstein - December 25 - Berlin Wall

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It is widely believed that the characteristics of the Sony/Philips Compact Disc were influenced by a desire to accommodate performances of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony on a single disc. This requirement is variously attributed to Herbert von Karajan (a Philips artist with access to Sony chairman Akio Morita), to Morita's wife, and to Sony president Norio Ohga. The urban legends investigators at snopes.com consider this to be "undecided." It does appear that at a late stage in development, the diameter of the CD was increased to 12 cm. to accommodate a playing time of 74 minutes.

Related Topics:
Sony - Philips - Compact Disc - Herbert von Karajan - Akio Morita - Norio Ohga

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http://www.research.philips.com/newscenter/dossier/optrec/beethoven.html

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