Citizendia

This article is about the composition. For the German poem, see Ode to Joy. " To Joy " ( An die Freude in German, in English often familiarly called the Ode to Joy) is an Ode written in For the EU and Council of Europe adaptation, see European Anthem.
Ludwig van Beethoven was almost completely deaf when he composed his ninth symphony.
Ludwig van Beethoven was almost completely deaf when he composed his ninth symphony.

The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 "Choral" is the last complete symphony composed by Ludwig van Beethoven. Opus, from the Latin word opus meaning "work" is usually used in the sense of "a Work of art " A symphony is a Musical composition, often extended and usually for Orchestra. Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. Completed in 1824, the choral Ninth Symphony is one of the best known works of the Western repertoire, considered both an icon and a forefather of Romantic music, and one of Beethoven's greatest masterpieces. A choral symphony is a large Musical composition, generally including an Orchestra, a Choir and soloists which adheres to some extent Romantic Music is a Musicological term referring to a particular period theory compositional practice and canon in European music history from about 1815 to 1910

Symphony No. 9 incorporates part of An die Freude ("Ode to Joy"), an ode by Friedrich Schiller, with text sung by soloists and a chorus in the last movement. " To Joy " ( An die Freude in German, in English often familiarly called the Ode to Joy) is an Ode written in Ode (from the Ancient Greek) is a form of stately and elaborate lyrical verse. Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller krɪstɔf friːtʁɪç fɔn ʃɪləʁ/ʃɪlɐ (10 November 1759 9 May 1805 was a German Poet, Philosopher In Music, a solo (from the Italian solo, meaning alone) is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer For the musical composition see Chorale. A choir, chorale, or chorus is a Musical ensemble of Singers It is the first example of a major composer using the human voice on the same level with instruments in a symphony, creating a work of a grand scope that set the tone for the Romantic symphonic form.

Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 plays a prominent cultural role in the world today. In particular, the music from the fourth movement (Ode to Joy) was rearranged by Herbert von Karajan into what is now known as the official anthem of the European Union. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Herbert von Karajan ( April 5 The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music (in Music theory and religious contexts or more generally a song (or composition of The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Further testament to its prominence is that an original manuscript of this work sold in 2003 for $3. 3 million USD at Sotheby's, London. Sotheby's ( is the world's second oldest Auction house in continuous operation (the oldest being Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674 London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The head of Sotheby's manuscripts department, Dr. Stephen Roe stated, "it is one of the highest achievements of man, ranking alongside Shakespeare's Hamlet and King Lear. William Shakespeare ( baptised Hamlet is a Tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601 King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1603 and 1606 and is considered one of his greatest works "

Contents

History

Composition of the symphony

The Philharmonic Society of London (later the Royal Philharmonic Society) originally commissioned the symphony in 1817. The Royal Philharmonic Society is a British music society formed in 1813 Beethoven started work on his last symphony in 1818 and finished it early in 1824. This was roughly twelve years after his eighth symphony. However, he was interested in the Ode to Joy from a much earlier time, having set it to music as early as 1793; that setting is lost.

The theme for the scherzo can be traced back to a fugue written in 1815. The introduction for the vocal part of the symphony caused many difficulties for Beethoven. It was the first time he—or anyone—had used a vocal component in a symphony. Beethoven's friend, Anton Schindler, later said: "When he started working on the fourth movement the struggle began as never before. Anton Felix Schindler ( June 13 1795 &ndash January 16 1864) was an associate and early biographer of Ludwig van Beethoven. The aim was to find an appropriate way of introducing Schiller's ode. One day he [Beethoven] entered the room and shouted 'I got it, I just got it!' Then he showed me a sketchbook with the words 'let us sing the ode of the immortal Schiller'". However, that introduction did not make it into the work, and Beethoven spent a great deal of time rewriting the part until it had reached the form recognizable today.

Premiere

Beethoven was eager to have his work played in Berlin as soon as possible after finishing it. Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. He was thinking that musical taste in Vienna was dominated by Italian composers such as Rossini. When his friends and financiers heard this, they urged him to premiere the symphony in Vienna. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria.

The Ninth Symphony was premiered on May 7, 1824 in the Kärntnertortheater in Vienna, along with the overture Die Weihe des Hauses and the first three parts of the Missa Solemnis. Events 558 - In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses Year 1824 ( MDCCCXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Theater am Kärntnertor or Kärntnertortheater was a prestigious Theater in Vienna during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries The Missa solemnis in D Major Op 123 was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven from 1819-1823 This was the composer's first on-stage appearance in twelve years; the hall was packed. The soprano and alto parts were interpreted by two famous young singers: Henriette Sontag and Caroline Unger. Henriette Sontag ( 3 January 1806 - 17 June 1854) was a German operatic soprano of great international renown Caroline Unger ( October 28, 1803 - March 23, 1877) was an Austrian Contralto.

Although the performance was officially directed by Michael Umlauf, the theatre's Kapellmeister, Beethoven shared the stage with him. Kapellmeister (kəˈpɛlˌmaɪstər is a German word designating a person in charge of music-making However, two years earlier, Umlauf had watched as the composer's attempt to conduct a dress rehearsal of his opera Fidelio ended in disaster. Fidelio (Op 72 is an Opera in two acts by Ludwig van Beethoven. So this time, he instructed the singers and musicians to ignore the totally deaf Beethoven. At the beginning of every part, Beethoven, who sat by the stage, gave the tempos. 2266-Tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl or TEMPO is the Chemical compound with the formula (CH23(CMe22NO He was turning the pages of his score and was beating time for an orchestra he could not hear. Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of Musical notation; like its analogs -- books pamphlets etc An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well

There are a number of anecdotes about the premiere of the Ninth. Based on the testimony of the participants, there are suggestions that it was under-rehearsed (there were only two full rehearsals) and rather scrappy in execution. On the other hand, the premiere was a big success. In any case, Beethoven was not to blame, as violist Josef Bohm recalled, "Beethoven directed the piece himself; that is, he stood before the lectern and gesticulated furiously. At times he raised, at other times he shrunk to the ground, he moved as if he wanted to play all the instruments himself and sing for the whole chorus. All the musicians minded his rhythm alone while playing".

When the audience applauded - testimonies differ over whether at the end of the scherzo or the whole symphony - Beethoven was several measures off and still conducting. A scherzo (plural scherzi) is a piece of Music or a movement in a certain style that forms part of a larger piece such as a Symphony. Because of that, the contralto Caroline Unger walked over and turned Beethoven around to accept the audience's cheers and applause. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. According to one witness, "the public received the musical hero with the utmost respect and sympathy, listened to his wonderful, gigantic creations with the most absorbed attention and broke out in jubilant applause, often during sections, and repeatedly at the end of them. " The whole audience acclaimed him through standing ovations five times; there were handkerchiefs in the air, hats, raised hands, so that Beethoven, who could not hear the applause, could at least see the ovation gestures. A standing ovation is a form of Applause where members of a seated Audience stand up while applauding The theatre house had never seen such enthusiasm in applause.

At that time, it was customary that the Imperial couple be greeted with three ovations when they entered the hall. The fact that five ovations were received by a private person who was not even employed by the state, and moreover, was a musician (a class of people who had been perceived as lackeys at court), was in itself considered almost indecent. Police agents present at the concert had to break off this spontaneous explosion of ovations. Beethoven left the concert deeply moved.

The repeat performance on May 23 in the great hall of the Fort was, however, poorly attended. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne

Editions

The Breitkopf & Härtel edition dating from 1864 has been used widely by orchestras. Breitkopf & Härtel is the world's oldest music publishing house [1] In 1997 Bärenreiter published an edition by Jonathan Del Mar[2]. Jonathan Del Mar (born 1951 is a Musicologist and conductor. Biography Born in London, he studied at Christ Church, Oxford According to Del Mar, this edition corrects nearly 3000 mistakes in the Breitkopf edition, some of which were remarkable. [3] Professor David Levy, however, criticized this edition in Beethoven Forum, saying that it could create "quite possibly false" traditions. David Benjamin Levy is a Musicologist. He is a professor with the Department of Music, in Wake Forest University. [4] Breitkopf also published a new edition by Peter Hauschild in 2005. [5]

While many of the modifications in the newer editions make minor alterations to dynamics and articulation, both editions make a major change to the orchestral lead-in to the final statement of the choral theme in the fourth movement (IV: m525-m542). The newer versions alter the articulation of the horn calls, creating syncopation that no longer relates to the previous motive. The new Breitkopf & Härtel and Bärenreiter make this alteration differently, but the result is a reading that is strikingly different than what was commonly accepted based on the 1864 Breitkopf edition. Breitkopf & Härtel is the world's oldest music publishing house While both Breitkopf & Härtel and Bärenreiter consider their editions the most accurate versions available--labeling them Urtext editions--their conclusions are not universally accepted. Breitkopf & Härtel is the world's oldest music publishing house In his monograph "Beethoven--the ninth symphony", Professor David Levy describes the rationale for these changes and the danger of calling the editions Urtext. David Benjamin Levy is a Musicologist. He is a professor with the Department of Music, in Wake Forest University.

Instrumentation

A page from Beethoven's manuscript
A page from Beethoven's manuscript

The symphony is scored for piccolo (fourth movement only), 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in A, B flat and C, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon (fourth movement only), 2 horns (1 and 2) in D and B flat, 2 horns (3 and 4) in B flat (bass), B flat and E flat, 2 trumpets in D and B flat, 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass, second and fourth movements only), timpani, triangle (fourth movement only), cymbals (fourth movement only), bass drum (fourth movement only), and strings. The piccolo is a small Flute. Like the flute the piccolo is normally pitched in the key of C one octave above the concert flute (making it effectively a sopranino The flute is a Musical instrument of the Woodwind family Unlike other woodwind instruments a flute is a Reedless wind instrument that produces its "Hautbois" redirects here for the strawberry variety see Hautbois strawberry. The clarinet is a Musical instrument in the Woodwind family The name derives from adding the suffix -et meaning little to the Italian word The bassoon is a Woodwind instrument in the Double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and Tenor registers and occasionally The contrabassoon is a larger version of the Bassoon sounding an octave lower The trombone is a Musical instrument in the brass family Like all brass instruments it is a lip-reed Aerophone: sound is produced when the player’s Timpani (also known colloquially as kettledrums or kettle drums) are Musical instruments in the percussion family The triangle is an Idiophone type of Musical instrument in the percussion family Cymbals are a modern percussion instrument Cymbals consist of thin normally round plates of various Cymbal alloys; see Cymbal making for a discussion of their A bass drum is a large Drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a Musical instrument that produces Sound by means of Vibrating strings In the Hornbostel-Sachs

The vocal parts consist of soprano solo, alto solo, tenor solo, baritone solo, and choir in four parts (soprano, alto, tenor [divided briefly into Tenor I and Tenor II] and bass). This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. Alto is a musical term derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" that has several possible interpretations The tenor is the highest male voice within the Modal register, just above the Baritone voice This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. For the musical composition see Chorale. A choir, chorale, or chorus is a Musical ensemble of Singers

Note: These are by far the largest forces needed for any Beethoven symphony; at the premiere, Beethoven augmented them further by assigning two players to each wind part.

Form

The symphony is in four movements, marked as follows:

  1. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
  2. Scherzo: Molto vivace - Presto
  3. Adagio molto e cantabile - Andante Moderato - Tempo I - Andante Moderato - Adagio - Lo Stesso Tempo
  4. Recitative: (Presto – Allegro ma non troppo – Vivace – Adagio cantabile – Allegro assai – Presto: O Freunde) – Allegro assai: Freude, schöner Götterfunken – Alla marcia – Allegro assai vivace: Froh, wie seine Sonnen – Andante maestoso: Seid umschlungen, Millionen! – Adagio ma non troppo, ma divoto: Ihr, stürzt nieder – Allegro energico, sempre ben marcato: (Freude, schöner Götterfunken – Seid umschlungen, Millionen!) – Allegro ma non tanto: Freude, Tochter aus Elysium! – Prestissimo: Seid umschlungen, Millionen!

Beethoven changes the usual pattern of Classical symphonies in placing the scherzo movement before the slow movement (in symphonies, slow movements are usually placed before scherzos). Maestoso (maeˈstoso is an Italian musical term used as a directive to play a certain passage of music in a stately dignified and majestic fashion (march-like Vivace is Italian for "quick and lively" Vivace is used as an Italian musical term indicating a movement that is in a lively Mood Cantabile is a musical term meaning literally "singable" or "songlike" ( Italian) Recitative /rɛsɪtə'tiv/ (also known by its Italian name "recitativo" (/retʃita'tivo/ is a style of delivery (much used in Operas Oratorios Marcato is a Bowing technique for playing a stringed instrument such as Violin, Viola, Cello, and the Double bass. The dates of the Classical period in Western music are generally accepted as 1750 to 1810 A scherzo (plural scherzi) is a piece of Music or a movement in a certain style that forms part of a larger piece such as a Symphony. This was the first time that he did this in a symphony, although he had done so in some previous works (including the quartets Op. A string quartet is a Musical ensemble of four String instruments &mdash usually two Violins a Viola and Cello &mdash or a piece 18 nos. 4 and 5, the "Archduke" piano trio Op. A piano trio is a group of Piano and two other instruments usually a Violin and a Cello, or a piece of Music written for such a group 97, the "Hammerklavier" piano sonata Op. Ludwig van Beethoven 's Piano Sonata No 29 in B flat major, opus 106, known as the Große Sonate für das Hammerklavier, or more simply as the 106). Haydn, too, had used this arrangement in a number of works.

First movement

 First movement

First movement. Full orchestra version.

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

The first movement is in sonata form, and the mood is often stormy. Sonata form is a Musical form that has been used widely since the early Classical period. The opening theme is played pianissimo over string tremolandos. This first subject later returns fortissimo at the outset of the recapitulation section, in D major, rather than the opening's D minor. The coda employs the chromatic fourth interval. A chromatic fourth is a Melody or melodic fragment spanning a Perfect fourth with all or almost all Chromatic intervals filled in

This is the first appearance of a quartet of horns in a Beethoven symphony.

Second movement

 Second movement

Second movement. Full orchestra version.

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

The second movement, a scherzo, is also in D minor, with the opening theme bearing a passing resemblance to the opening theme of the first movement, a pattern also found in the Hammerklavier piano sonata, written a few years earlier. A scherzo (plural scherzi) is a piece of Music or a movement in a certain style that forms part of a larger piece such as a Symphony. Ludwig van Beethoven 's Piano Sonata No 29 in B flat major, opus 106, known as the Große Sonate für das Hammerklavier, or more simply as the It uses propulsive rhythms and a timpani solo. Timpani (also known colloquially as kettledrums or kettle drums) are Musical instruments in the percussion family At times during the piece Beethoven directs that the beat should be one downbeat every three bars, perhaps because of the very fast pace of the majority of the movement which is written in triple time, with the direction ritmo di tre battute ("rhythm of three bars"), and one beat every four bars with the direction ritmo di quattro battute ("rhythm of four bars").

The contrasting trio section is in D major and in duple (cut) time. The trio is the first time the trombones play in the work. The trombone is a Musical instrument in the brass family Like all brass instruments it is a lip-reed Aerophone: sound is produced when the player’s

Third movement

The lyrical slow movement, in B flat major, is in a loose variation form, with each pair of variations progressively elaborating the rhythm and melody. Variation form Variation form include Ground bass, Passacaglia, Chaconne, and theme and variations The first variation, like the theme, is in 4/4 time, the second in 12/8. The variations are separated by passages in 3/4, the first in D major, the second in G major. The final variation is twice interrupted by episodes in which loud fanfares for the full orchestra are answered by double-stopped octaves played by the first violins alone. A virtuosic horn solo is assigned to the fourth player. Trombones are tacet for the movement. The trombone is a Musical instrument in the brass family Like all brass instruments it is a lip-reed Aerophone: sound is produced when the player’s Tacet is Latin for "it is silent" It is a musical term to indicate that an instrument does not play for a long period of time typically an entire movement

Fourth movement

 4th movement
Full fourth movement, orchestra and solists
Ode to Joy
Electric keyboard version.

The famous choral finale is Beethoven's musical representation of Universal Brotherhood and has been characterized by Charles Rosen as a symphony within a symphony. Charles Rosen (born May 5 1927 is an American Pianist and music theorist. It contains four movements played without interruption. [6] This "inner symphony" follows the same overall pattern as the Ninth Symphony as a whole. The scheme is as follows:

The movement has a thematic unity, in which every part may be shown to be based on either the main theme, the "Seid umschlungen" theme, or some combination of the two. This is a list of musical terms that are likely to be encountered in printed scores In Music, a fugue (ˈfjuːg is a type of contrapuntal composition or technique of composition for a fixed number of parts, normally referred 2266-Tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl or TEMPO is the Chemical compound with the formula (CH23(CMe22NO

The first "movement within a movement" itself is organized into sections:

Text of fourth movement

Words written by Beethoven (not Schiller) are shown in italics. " To Joy " ( An die Freude in German, in English often familiarly called the Ode to Joy) is an Ode written in

German original
O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!
Sondern laßt uns angenehmere
anstimmen und freudenvollere.
Freude! Freude!
Freude, schöner Götterfunken
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische, dein Heiligthum!
Deine Zauber binden wieder
Was die Mode streng getheilt;
Alle Menschen werden Brüder,
Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.
Wem der große Wurf gelungen,
Eines Freundes Freund zu sein;
Wer ein holdes Weib errungen,
Mische seinen Jubel ein!
Ja, wer auch nur eine Seele
Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund!
Und wer's nie gekonnt, der stehle
Weinend sich aus diesem Bund!
Freude trinken alle Wesen
An den Brüsten der Natur;
Alle Guten, alle Bösen
Folgen ihrer Rosenspur.
Küße gab sie uns und Reben,
Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod;
Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben,
Und der Cherub steht vor Gott.
Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen
Durch des Himmels prächt'gen Plan,
Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn,
Freudig, wie ein Held zum Siegen.
Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Brüder, über'm Sternenzelt
Muß ein lieber Vater wohnen.
Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen?
Ahnest du den Schöpfer, Welt?
Such' ihn über'm Sternenzelt!
Über Sternen muß er wohnen.
Finale repeats the words:
Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Brüder, über'm Sternenzelt
Muß ein lieber Vater wohnen.
Seid umschlungen,
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Freude, schöner Götterfunken
Tochter aus Elysium,
Freude, schöner Götterfunken
English translation
Oh friends, not these tones!
Rather let us sing more
pleasant and more joyful ones.
Joy! Joy!
Joy, beautiful spark of gods,
Daughter of Elysium!
We enter, drunk with fire ,
Heavenly one, your shrine. In Greek mythology, Elysium ( Greek:) was a section of the Underworld (the spelling Elysium is a Latinization of the
Your magics again bind
What custom has strictly parted.
All people become brothers,
where your gentle wing alights.
Whoever succeeds in the great attempt
To be a friend of a friend,
Whoever has won a lovely woman,
Let him add his jubilation!
Yes, whoever calls even one soul
His own on the earth's globe!
And who never has, let him steal,
Weeping, away from this group.
All creatures drink joy
At the breasts of nature;
All the good, all the evil
Follow her roses' trail.
Kisses gave she us, and wine,
A friend, proven unto death;
Pleasure was to the worm granted,
And the cherub stands before God.
Glad, as his suns fly
Through the Heavens' glorious plan,
Run, brothers, your race,
Joyful, as a hero to victory.
Be embraced, you millions!
This kiss for the whole world!
Brothers, beyond the star-canopy
Must a loving Father dwell.
Do you bow down, you millions?
Do you sense the Creator, world?
Seek Him beyond the star-canopy!
Beyond the stars must He dwell.
Finale repeats the words:
Be embraced, you millions!
This kiss for the whole world!
Brothers, beyond the star-canopy
Must a loving Father dwell.
Be embraced,
This kiss for the whole world!
Joy, beautiful spark of the gods,
Daughter of Elysium,
Joy, beautiful spark of the gods

Influence of the Symphony

The Ninth Symphony struck the changing and newly Romantic world of Western music with force. Partially due to the scope, ambition, and import of this work, Beethoven is considered the forefather of Romantic music. His Symphony No. 9 was to prove extremely influential on the Western tradition, not just in specific compositional form (and length), but in much more general ways, for its forging of new ground beyond the Classical symphonic mould of purely "absolute music". Absolute music (sometimes abstract music) is a term used to describe musicthat is not explicitly "about" anything non-representational ornon-objective It is an early icon and declaration of the Romantic idealistic tradition of Bildung. Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency

Many later composers of the Romantic period and beyond were influenced specifically by Beethoven's final symphony:

An important theme in the finale of Johannes Brahms' Symphony No. 1 in C minor is related to the "Ode to Joy" theme from the last movement of Beethoven's Ninth symphony. Johannes Brahms ( pronounced ˈbʁaːms (May 7 1833 &ndash April 3 1897 was a German Composer The Symphony No 1 in C minor Op 68 is a Symphony written by Johannes Brahms. When this was pointed out to Brahms, he is reputed to have retorted "Any ass can see that!", which suggests the imitation was intentional. The donkey or ass, Equus asinus, is a member of the Equidae or horse family and an odd-toed ungulate. Brahms's first symphony was sometimes jokingly referred to as "Beethoven's Tenth". [7]

Anton Bruckner used the chromatic fourth in his third symphony in much the same way that Beethoven used it in the first movement's coda. Anton Bruckner (4 September 1824 &ndash 11 October 1896 was an Austrian composer known primarily for his symphonies, masses, and Motets In Music, chromaticism is a Compositional technique interspersing the primary Diatonic pitches and chords with other pitches of the Chromatic Anton Bruckner 's Symphony No 3 in D minor (WAB 103 was dedicated to Richard Wagner and is sometimes known as his "Wagner Symphony"

In the opening notes of the third movement of his Symphony No. 9 (The "New World"), Antonín Dvořák pays homage to the scherzo of this symphony with his falling fourths and timpani strokes. "New World Symphony" redirects here for the Miami -based orchestra see New World Symphony Orchestra. Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( (often pronounced in English as; DVOR-zhahk; September 8 1841 – May 1 1904 was a Czech composer of Romantic music, who employed A scherzo (plural scherzi) is a piece of Music or a movement in a certain style that forms part of a larger piece such as a Symphony. [8]

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony may also have influenced the development of the compact disc. A Compact Disc (also known as a CD) is an Optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio Philips, the company that had started the work on the new audio format, originally planned for a CD to have a diameter of 11. Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV ( Royal Philips Electronics Inc. 5 cm, while Sony planned a 10 cm diameter needed for one hour of music. is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest Media conglomerates with However, according to a Philips website, Norio Ohga insisted in 1979 that the CD be able to contain a complete performance of the Ninth Symphony:

“The longest known performance lasted 74 minutes. is a Japanese electronics businessman who originally trained as an opera singer This was a mono recording made during the Bayreuther Festspiele in 1951 and conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler. The Bayreuth Festival is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of Operas by the 19th century German composer WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Wilhelm Furtwängler (January 25 1886 &ndash November 30 1954 was a This therefore became the playing time of a CD. A diameter of 12 centimeters was required for this playing time. [9]”

However, Kees Immink, Philips' chief engineer, who developed the CD, denies this, claiming that the increase was motivated by technical considerations, and that even after the increase in size, the Furtwängler recording was not able to fit onto the earliest CDs. Kornelis Antonie (Kees Schouhamer Immink (born 18 December, 1946 in Rotterdam) is a Dutch scientist inventor and entrepreneur who pioneered [10]

The Curse of the Ninth

Using modern numbering, several composers beside Beethoven have completed no more than nine symphonies. This has led certain subsequent composers, particularly Gustav Mahler, to be superstitious about composing their own ninth or tenth symphonies, or to try to avoid writing them at all. This phenomenon has become known as the Curse of the Ninth. The curse of the ninth is the superstition that any composer of symphonies, from Beethoven onwards will die soon after writing their own Ninth Symphony

Performance challenges

Duration

Lasting more than an hour, the Ninth was an exceptionally long symphony for its time. Like much of Beethoven's later music, his Ninth Symphony is demanding for all the performers, including the choir and soloists.

Metronome markings

As with all of his symphonies, Beethoven has provided his own metronome markings for the Ninth Symphony, and as with all of his metronome markings, there is controversy among conductors regarding the degree to which they should be followed. A metronome is any device that produces a regulated aural visual or tactile pulse to establish a steady Tempo in the performance of music A metronome is any device that produces a regulated aural visual or tactile pulse to establish a steady Tempo in the performance of music Historically, conductors have tended to take a slower tempo than Beethoven marked for the slow movement, and a faster tempo for the military march section of the finale. Conductors in the historically informed performance movement, notably Roger Norrington, have used Beethoven's suggested tempos, to mixed reviews. Sir Roger Arthur Carver Norrington, CBE (born March 16, 1934) is a British conductor.

Ritard/a tempo at the end of the first movement

Many conductors move the "a tempo" in m. 511 of the first movement to measure m. 513 to coincide with the "Funeral March".

Re-orchestrations and alterations

A number of conductors have made alterations in the instrumentation of the symphony.

Mahler's "Retouching"

Gustav Mahler revised the orchestration of the Ninth to make it sound like what he believed Beethoven would have wanted if given a modern orchestra. For example, since the modern orchestra has larger string sections than in Beethoven's time, Mahler doubled various wind and brass parts to preserve the balance between strings on the one hand and winds and brass on the other.

Horn and trumpet alterations

Beethoven's writing for horns and trumpets throughout the symphony (mostly the 2nd horn and 2nd trumpet) is often altered by performers to avoid large leaps (those of a 12th or more).

Flute and first violin alterations

In the first movement, at times the first violins and flute have ascending 7th leaps within mostly descending melodic phrases. Many conductors alter the register of these passages to create a single descending scale (examples: m143 in the flute, m501 in the first violins).

2nd bassoon doubling basses in the finale

Beethoven's indication that the 2nd bassoon should double the basses in measures 115-164 of the finale was not included in the Breitkopf parts, though it was included in the score.

Ninth symphony since the 19th century

The European Anthem commemorative coin
The European Anthem commemorative coin

Notable recordings

References

  1. ^ Del Mar, Jonathan (July-December 1999). Jonathan Del Mar (born 1951 is a Musicologist and conductor. Biography Born in London, he studied at Christ Church, Oxford Jonathan Del Mar, New Urtext Edition: Beethoven Symphonies 1-9. British Academy Review. Retrieved on 2007-11-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1002 - English king Ethelred orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St
  2. ^ Ludwig van Beethoven The Nine Symphonies The New Bärenreiter Urtext Edition. Retrieved on 2007-11-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1002 - English king Ethelred orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St
  3. ^ Zander, Benjamin. Benjamin Zander (born March 9, 1939, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, England) is an English-American conductor. Beethoven 9 The fundamental reappraisal of a classic. Retrieved on 2007-11-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1002 - English king Ethelred orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St
  4. ^ Concerning the Review of the Urtext Edition of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Retrieved on 2007-11-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1002 - English king Ethelred orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St
  5. ^ Beethoven The Nine Symphonies.
  6. ^ Rosen, Charles. "The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven". page 440. New York: Norton, 1997.
  7. ^ Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68. The Kennedy Center, 2006
  8. ^ Steinberg, Michael. "The Symphony: a listeners guide". page 153. Oxford University Press, 1995.
  9. ^ Optical Recording: Beethoven's Ninth Symphony of greater importance than technology, Philips
  10. ^ Kees A. Schouhamer Immink (2007). "Shannon, Beethoven, and the Compact Disc" (html). IEEE Information Theory Newsletter: 42-46.  
  11. ^ The European Anthem. Europa.
  12. ^ Lockwood, Lewis. "Beethoven: The Music and the Life". page 412. New York: Norton, 2003.
  13. ^ Naxos (2006). Naxos Records is a Record label for classical music Compact discs and DVDs Founded in 1987 by Klaus Heymann, a Ode To Freedom - Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 (NTSC). Naxos. com Classical Music Catalogue. Retrieved on 2006-11-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus" This is the publisher's catalogue entry for a DVD of Bernstein's Christmas 1989 "Ode to Freedom" concert.

Bibliography

Scholarly

Literary

External links

Audio

Scores, Manuscripts & Text

Other Material


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