Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral"
7/17/2020, 4 Tracks, 1:00:58
Featuring
Bomi Lee
Agnieszka Rehlis
Krystian Adam Krzeszowiak
Tareq Nazmi
Wojciech Rajski
Polish Chamber Choir Schola Cantorum Gedanensis
Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Sopot
Ludwig van Beethoven
Did you know?
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Recording & Production
This album was recorded in St. John's Church in Gdańsk in 2015, with Andreas Spreer handling the recording, editing, and surround mix, and also producing the album.
Compositional Technique
The Scherzo of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is nearly 1,000 bars long, making it the longest such movement in all his symphonies, and features a virtuosic solo use of timpani tuned in octaves.
Composition History
Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 premiered on May 7, 1824, in Vienna, alongside his Consecration of the House Overture and movements from the Missa Solemnis.
Performer Biography
The Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Sopot was founded in February 1982 by Wojciech Rajski, who brought together talented Polish string players.
Critical Reception
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was considered so novel and audacious at its premiere that it deeply unsettled many contemporary critics.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Beethoven intended from the early stages of composition for voices to be included in his Ninth Symphony, using Schiller's Ode to Joy as the text for the vocal part.
Cultural Impact
The melody from Beethoven's Ode to Joy has been used as the national anthem of Rhodesia, a 1970s pop hit, and is currently the official anthem of the European Union.
