Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral" (Live)

Featuring

Karl Böhm
Gundula Janowitz
Grace Bumbry
Jess Thomas
George London
Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele

Chor der Bayreuther Festspiele
Ludwig van Beethoven

Did you know?

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Critical Reception

Despite some acoustic issues and unconventional staging, critics were unanimously enthusiastic about the 1963 performance, calling it 'beyond any criticism' and 'world-class'.

Recording & Production

Since 2003, ORFEO and the Bayreuth Festival have jointly released a series of unique historical recordings from the Bayerischer Rundfunk archives titled 'Bayreuther Festspiele Live'.

Composition History

Richard Wagner used a 'version' of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with instrumental retouching, primarily a thickening of wind textures, for the performances he conducted.

Recording & Production

For this release, the original tape recording from Bayerischer Rundfunk was used, with remastering focused on retaining the original sound while improving clarity and reducing noise.

Historical Context

1963 was a 'Wagner year', marking both the 150th birthday and 80th death anniversary of Richard Wagner, bringing Bayreuth and its festival into particular focus.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Richard Wagner considered Beethoven's Ninth Symphony to be the 'human gospel of the art of the future' and believed no further progress in music was possible beyond it.