Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral" (Live at Bayreuth Festspielhaus, Germany, 7/29/1951)
1/7/2022, 7 Tracks, 1:22:45
Featuring
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Elisabeth Höngen
Hans Hopf
Otto Edelmann
Wilhelm Furtwängler
Chor der Bayreuther Festspiele
Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele
Audience
Miscellaneous
Ludwig van Beethoven
Did you know?
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Recording & Production
This recording of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was broadcast live from the Bayreuth Festival on July 29, 1951, and was simultaneously broadcast internationally.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Beethoven's decision to include voices in his Ninth Symphony was revolutionary, as symphonies were, by definition, instrumental pieces at the time.
Composition History
Beethoven had been considering setting Friedrich Schiller's poem "An die Freude" (To Joy) to music as early as 1793, decades before its inclusion in the Ninth Symphony.
Performer Biography
Wilhelm Furtwängler, the conductor on this recording, was a prominent 20th-century conductor who initially saw himself primarily as a composer.
Composer Biography
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, completed in 1824, is his only symphony from his late period, finished just three years before his death.
Notable Performances
At the 1824 premiere of the Ninth Symphony, the profoundly deaf Beethoven had to be turned around by a soloist to see the audience's wild applause.
Critical Reception
The Ninth Symphony took several years to become established in the repertoire due to its size and difficulty, but is now considered one of the greatest works of all time.
