BEHIND THE MUSICSymphony No. 9

History• The last complete symphony written

by Beethoven• Written in 1824• One of the best known classical

works and considered to be one of Beethoven’s greatest masterpieces

• First symphony to use vocalists and a chorus

The Text and Compositional Process• The text is based on Friedrich Schiller’s poem “Ode

to Joy”• The poem was published in 1786, and Beethoven

made plans to set it to music as far back as 1793• The symphony was commissioned in 1817• Beethoven started work in 1818 and finished in

1824• The finished piece contains bits of musical material

from 1811 and 1817 and other minor works• The piece was a struggle to write, and meticulously

edited and rewritten

Influence on other composers

• Many Romantic composers viewed Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony as the starting point for their compositions

• Brahms used a theme influenced by “Ode to Joy” in his first symphony, earning it the nickname of “Beethoven’s Tenth”

• Wagner and Mahler wrote works combining voices and orchestra

Symphony No. 9 in Modern Times• The last movement (“Ode to Joy”) has inspired people ever

since it was written. On December 25, 1989, Leonard Bernstein gave a concert in Berlin celebrating the end of the Wall, with the word ‘Joy’ changed to ‘Freedom’ in the sung text. The orchestra and chorus were drawn from East and West Germany, as well as the United Kingdom, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States.

Combined under Bernstein, they all gave more than a concert: they lit a torch for the love of freedom

Symphony No. 9 in Modern Times

The symphony played a role in determining the size of compact discs (CDs). The length of a CD was originally to be one hour, but Norio Ohga (chairman of Sony) insisted that a CD be able to fit the entire recording of the 9th Symphony.

The longest known performance lasted 74 minutes. Therefore, this became the playing time of a CD.