Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is revolutionary for its unprecedented size and complexity, and especially for introducing the human voice in its final movement.
Recording & Production
This recording of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 was made live on June 1, 2, and 3, 2023, at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Beethoven had planned to set Schiller's 'Ode to Joy' to music since 1792, with an acquaintance noting his devotion to 'the great and the sublime'.
Composition History
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, known as the 'Choral' Symphony, was completed in 1824 after about a year and a half of actual compositional work.
Compositional Technique
The second movement of the Ninth Symphony is a scherzo, an unusual order for symphonies, and Beethoven avoided the word 'Scherzo' because its mood is dramatic, not playful.
Album & Artwork
The album's cover art, 'BEETHOVEN Symphonies Abstracted Art,' was created by Mo Willems, who painted nine abstractions, one for each symphony, with panel sizes representing movement lengths.
Compositional Technique
The opening of the Ninth Symphony, with its mysterious string tremolos, has been described as representing the creation of the world, with the main theme emerging from an amorphous state.
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