Masters of Classical Music - Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 9

The 9th Symphony in D minor op. 125, first performed in 1824, is the composer's last completed symphony. In the final movement of the symphony, vocal soloists and a mixed choir are used in addition to the orchestra. Beethoven chose Friedrich Schiller's poem "An die Freude" (Ode to Joy) as the text. As the first so-called symphonic cantata, the work represents a caesura in music history and influenced subsequent generations of composers. With a typical performance duration of about 70 minutes, the symphony clearly goes beyond the usual dimensions of the time and thus paved the way for the symphonies of the Romantic period, some of which were full-length (Bruckner, Mahler). Today, "Beethoven's Ninth" is one of the most popular works of classical music worldwide. In 1972, the main theme of the last movement was adopted by the Council of Europe as its anthem, and in 1985 by the European Community as the official European anthem. The justification states that "it symbolises the values shared by all and unity in diversity". The autograph, which is housed in the National Library in Berlin, has been included in UNESCO's World Documentary Heritage. The concert features a live recording of Beethoven's 9th Symphony from the Berlin Philharmonie, played by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Claudio Abbado. With the Masters of Classical Music series, listeners can experience and enjoy great musical masterpieces from the Baroque era to the present in a whole new way. The full performance of each work is complemented by a documentary section. In the accompanying documentary section, renowned musicologist Wulf Konold talks about Beethoven's life and the circumstances under which the 9th Symphony was composed. A detailed account of the composer's aesthetic and political ideals, quotations from his contemporaries and numerous musical examples bring us vividly closer to this magnificent masterpiece.