O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!
Sondern laßt uns angenehmere
anstimmen und freudenvollere.
Freude! Freude!
Yesterday was the Duke, today it’s Beethoven. The most famous of Beethoven’s symphonies was also his last; “Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 (“Choral”).” And what a symphony it is! “Among critics, it is almost universally considered to be Beethoven’s greatest work, and is considered by many to be the greatest piece of music ever written.” ^ I’m not really up for a debate on that subject right now, but what I can say, is that Beethoven’s “Ninth” is big, majestic and grand. Consisting of four movements, including four singing soloists and a choir in the last movement, this larger than life work is as good as all the hype around it and then some. It deserves all of the accolades and high praise that it has received in the past 222 years. The other thing that this knock out symphony has going for it is one of the most recognizable melodies ever written:^
Even if you are a person with little musical interest, it’s a pretty sure bet that you have not only heard this music before but that you also hummed along. Sidebar, the first note of the melody is a half note not a quarter note that is often mis-written. That means the first note is held for two beats, not one. That may mean nothing to many, but giving that note only one beat is blasphemous. Beethoven’s biggest complaint in the after-life must be, “those damn fools keep singing it wrong!” Can you imagine?
Okay, I was having a little fun there. Regardless, this monumental work still moves the spirit within and ignites the soul. Music like this is made in the likeness of God. And God does dwell beyond the stars.
*”Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 ‘Choral'” Ludwig van Beethoven 1824
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Raymond Leppard: conductor
Gillian Webster, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Martyn Hill, Robert Hayward: vocal soloists
The Ambrosian Singers
Royal Philharmonic Masterworks, Label 2008
365, Album of the Day 2014 