Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral" (Live)
11/6/2020, 6 Tracks, 1:18:10
Featuring
Erna Berger
Gertrude Pitzinger
Helge Rosvaenge
Rudolf Watzke
Wilhelm Furtwängler
Audience
Berliner Philharmoniker
Bruno Kittel Choir
Miscellaneous
Ludwig van Beethoven
Did you know?
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Interpretation
Wilhelm Furtwängler, the conductor, viewed the Ninth Symphony's last movement as a successful climax with a message of Universal Brotherhood.
Recording & Production
This recording of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was made privately off-the-air on seven 12-inch 78rpm "Decelith" discs in Berlin on April 19, 1942.
Cultural Impact
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony achieved iconic status during the 19th century, regarded by many, including conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler, as a secular-sacred rite.
Historical Context
Wilhelm Furtwängler, the conductor, was forced by Goebbels to conduct this performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony on the eve of Hitler's birthday.
Interpretation
The closing bars of the last movement in this performance are described as a "nightmare of nihilism," a "stampede towards the abyss," suggesting Furtwängler's despair.
Interpretation
The recording captures a performance of "fearful intensity," with the timpani in the second movement sounding like "Jove's thunderbolts" and the fanfare in the third movement described as "apocalyptic."
