Beethoven, Symphony 9/2, D minor Op 125 'Choral' Thielemann Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

02 Scherzo. Molto vivace. Presto, Beethoven Symphony 9/2 Choral Thielemann Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra


The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, is the final complete symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1824, the symphony is one of the best known works of the Western classical repertoire, and has been adapted for use as the European Anthem. It is considered by critics to be one of Beethoven's masterpieces and one of the greatest musical compositions ever written.

The symphony was the first example of a major composer using voices in a symphony (thus making it a choral symphony). The words are sung during the final movement by four vocal soloists and a chorus. They were taken from the "Ode to Joy", a poem written by Friedrich Schiller in 1785 and revised in 1803, with additions made by the composer.
The title of Schiller's poem "An die Freude" is literally translated as "To Joy", but is normally called the "Ode to Joy". It was written in 1785 and first published the following year in the poet's own literary journal, Thalia. Beethoven had made plans to set this poem to music as far back as 1793, when he was 22 years old.

Beethoven was eager to have his work played in Berlin as soon as possible after finishing it, since he thought that musical taste in Vienna was dominated by Italian composers such as Rossini. When his friends and financiers heard this, they urged him to premiere the symphony in Vienna.

The Ninth Symphony was premiered on 7 May 1824 in the Kärntnertortheater in Vienna, along with the Consecration of the House Overture and the first three parts of the Missa Solemnis. This was the composer's first on-stage appearance in 12 years; the hall was packed. The soprano and alto parts were interpreted by two famous young singers: Henriette Sontag and Caroline Unger.

Although the performance was officially directed by Michael Umlauf, the theatre's Kapellmeister, Beethoven shared the stage with him. However, two years earlier, Umlauf had watched as the composer's attempt to conduct a dress rehearsal of his opera Fidelio ended in disaster. So this time, he instructed the singers and musicians to ignore the totally deaf Beethoven. At the beginning of every part, Beethoven, who sat by the stage, gave the tempos. He was turning the pages of his score and beating time for an orchestra he could not hear.

There are a number of anecdotes about the premiere of the Ninth. Based on the testimony of the participants, there are suggestions that it was under-rehearsed (there were only two full rehearsals) and rather scrappy in execution. On the other hand, the premiere was a great success. In any case, Beethoven was not to blame, as violinist Josef Böhm recalled: "Beethoven directed the piece himself; that is, he stood before the lectern and gesticulated furiously. At times he rose, at other times he shrank to the ground, he moved as if he wanted to play all the instruments himself and sing for the whole chorus. All the musicians minded his rhythm alone while playing".

Scherzo: Molto vivace - Presto. - The second movement, a scherzo, is also in D minor, with the opening theme bearing a passing resemblance to the opening theme of the first movement, a pattern also found in the Hammerklavier piano sonata, written a few years earlier. It uses propulsive rhythms and a timpani solo. At times during the piece Beethoven directs that the beat should be one downbeat every three bars, perhaps because of the very fast pace of the majority of the movement which is written in triple time, with the direction ritmo di tre battute ("rhythm of three bars"), and one beat every four bars with the direction ritmo di quattro battute ("rhythm of four bars").

Beethoven had been criticised before for failing to adhere to standard form for his compositions. He used this movement to answer his critics. Normally, scherzi are written in triple time. Beethoven wrote this piece in triple time, but it is punctuated in a way that, when coupled with the speed of the metre, makes it sound as though it is in quadruple time.[citation needed]

While adhering to the standard ternary design of a dance movement (scherzo-trio-scherzo, or minuet-trio-minuet), the scherzo section has an elaborate internal structure: it is a complete sonata form. Within this sonata form, the first group of the exposition starts out with a fugue.

The contrasting trio section is in D major and in duple time. The trio is the first time the trombones play in the work.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Beethoven
• Symphony
• 9/2
• Choral
• Thielemann
• Vienna
• Philharmonic
• Orchestra

[dick0447]

When was the last time you visited Europe? If ever. If you have you must have had your eyes shut. Or perhaps the fact that they have better roads, trains, healthcare that works and are much better educated has entirely passed you by.

[w0uterrr]

I came to enjoy my beloved molto vivace. How the ** are people discussing all this nonsense here, haha. EU and NA are both perfectly fine continents, both with well educated and clever minds (and, as you people have shown, both with dumb f***s as well)

[telephilia]

A curiously heavy, lumbering interpretation of this scherzo. I've heard better from this same orchestra.

[telephilia]

What is all this stuff about the EU and the USA on a video of a piece of music by Beethoven? Take your natterings elsewhere.

[MegaBlueGinger]

Only one woman in the whole orchestra. Big pity to overlook such a huge wealth of talent :-( Nevertheless, the boys seemed to have pulled it off

[yarful]

@dick0447 rest what case, you never had a case. You're talking out your ass. Not one of your comments had a single actual fact. 'this is better than that' why? because you said so? or Jim's website said so? Nothing is handed to you, unless it's food stamps.. and look how great that system has worked. Black America is completely dependent on food stamps instead of themselves. Want healthcare.. PAY FOR IT, want education PAY FOR IT. cant pay for it GET A FUCKING JOB. Too stupid? tuff shit. DIAF

[dick0447]

@yarful I rest my case.

[yarful]

@dick0447 It's actually easy to afford college here. We have Pell grants for low income, and my state Florida has Bright Futures Scholarship: 3.5 gpa in high school is 100% scholarship, 3.0 is 75%, good at non-private schools FSU, UF, USF etc. 100% paid for by the FL Lottery. Don't think for a second that post-secondary education in the US is substandard, it is the standard in most cases. We put men on the moon with less cpu power than a cell phone. They see me rollin.. they hatin.. patrollin

[dick0447]

@yarful You have missed the point and are demonstrating the parochial ignorance that is prevalent in the US. The US might have some of the best colleges but only a minority can afford to use them. The US might have the biggest companies but who is getting the wealth? Educationally the average student in the US is way below his counterparts in Europe - and I won't start about healthcare. I rest my case.