[Music] Beethoven's Ninth Symphony

[Perikles]

Author: RexNecros
Original Thread: Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony

The Ninth Symphony composed in 1823 by Ludwig Van Beethoven is considered by many one of the greatest if not the greatest piece of music ever composed. He composed his ninth in near deafness and was one of his last major works. Today, the ninth represents a great cultural achievement; its four movements are individually well known. The fourth movement known as the ode to joy contains a poem written by Schiller. This poem envisions Schiller's dream of the human race as one.


To understand the significance of the ninth we must go back to Beethoven’s early compositions as well as understand the great political turmoil of his time. Beethoven was born into an era full of new ideals that challenged the European aristocracy; the enlightenment. It was not in Europe, but in the Americas in which the first taste of the enlightenment ideals were put to use following the American war of independence against the British Empire. Many prominent intellectuals, political activists, artists, writers and composers sided with these new ideals. Not surprisingly, France was the place where this new revolution was born since it was catalyzed by the injustices of the monarchy and the poverty of the people claiming for justice. The trumpets of the revolution finally sung at the storming of the Bastille. What followed was mayhem from where a new government, a republic was installed and democratic ideals were put into place. Out of this whole mess, various prominent political and military leaders came into power, among them Napoleon Bonaparte. Thus the Napoleonic era was born.

The Napoleonic era could be considered a second era of romanticism, simply because of the over emotional exaggeration, beauty and epic added to the Napoleonic character that elevated everyone to a deity status as seen the era of the late roman republic with Caesar. However, romanticism was the total opposite of what the enlightenment was all about; reason was simply replaced by emotion. Beethoven was to convey and celebrate these ideals by composing what is considered the dawn in romanticism in music, his third symphony. The third symphony, also known as “eroica’ was dedicated to Napoleon to celebrate a hero who apparently was about to overthrow the tyrants of Europe. Later on when Napoleon crowned himself emperor he removed his dedication. As with the third, his fifth and eventually his ninth, they all embody the beginning of a struggle that ends with a victorious end.

Beethoven was envisioning a piece that could incorporate Schiller’s poem as early as 1793. In 1817 the Royal Philharmonic Society commissioned a symphony in 1817 but Beethoven began working in this symphony in 1818 and finished in 1823. The symphony is sometimes referred to as "Choral” because of the vocal end containing Schiller’s poem. In fact, Beethoven struggled hardly to compose the fourth movement’s intro and eventually made a way to use the poem.

The first part of the symphony: Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso; is a introduction, an epic of somber character as in a bloody Napoleonic battle.
The second part: Allegro Vivace; is a scherzo expresses joy of great intensity and depth that the repetition of the scherzo does not overshadow.
The third: Adagio molto e cantabile; a new cycle begins; this is a moment of great lyrical elimination of uncertainty and inconsistency. At the same time makes a circular melody by dividing into two themes a coral construction followed by a ternary meter.
The forth movement: Allegro assai ;can be considered an " ode to freedom ", as pianist A. Rubinstein said. The fourth, last movement combines all the three parts into one exploding with a terrific stormy intro, that is repeated to be resounded and sung with Schiller’s poem. This part is known as the ode to joy instead of the ode to freedom because Schiller had to change the word freedom with joy due to censorship.

Beethoven’s ninth has left a long and deep lasting impression in the world of great significance culturally. This piece has been featured in Clock work Orange, the ode to joy was adapted as the European’s union anthem and it was used by the protestors of the Tiananmen Square massacre.