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

Featuring

Robert Shaw
Benita Valente
Janice Taylor
Richard Leech
William Stone
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus
Ludwig van Beethoven

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Performer Biography

Robert Shaw, the conductor of this recording, served as Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for 21 years, building it into a major American orchestra.

Performer Biography

Robert Shaw received numerous accolades throughout his career, including 16 Grammy® Awards, a Gold Record, and the Kennedy Center Honor.

Recording & Production

This album is a live broadcast recording of Robert Shaw's final concert in Atlanta as Music Director on May 21, 1988.

Composer Biography

Beethoven's hearing had deteriorated so much by the premiere of his Ninth Symphony that he could not conduct it and was unaware of the audience's applause until a soloist turned him around.

Composition History

Beethoven considered ending his Ninth Symphony with a purely instrumental fourth movement as late as summer 1823, before deciding to incorporate Friedrich Schiller's Ode 'To Joy'.

Compositional Technique

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is unique for its revolutionary introduction of vocal soloists and a chorus in the finale, expanding the potential of symphonic expression.

Recording & Production

This recording fills a gap in Robert Shaw's legacy, as his previous 1985 recording of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was unsatisfactory, and later attempts were blocked by Telarc's commitments.