Beethoven No. 9 Symphony Analysis

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Recommended: The life and work of Ludwig van Beethoven

On September 18, 2014, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus performed a wonderful rendition of Symphony No. 9, Op. 125 by Ludwig van Beethoven at the Orchestra Hall in Chicago one hundred and ninety years after it was first performed in Vienna. It included four movements and four choral performers, making it part symphony and part oratorio. Conducting was Riccardo Muti, who has been the conductor for the last nine years, and is doing an outstanding job of paying respects to some of the most well-known musical classics. Although in Beethoven’s time a symphony and opera were very rarely mixed and resulted in success, Op. 125 was considered an “important stylistic bridge between the classical and romantic periods”. The first movement …show more content…

A boisterous, rapid-tempo entrance sets the tone as it begins to crescendo into a melody. This piece is considered a ‘scherzo’, or a vigorous, light, playful composition which is usually found as the third piece in a performance. This movement was the most powerful when it came to comparing the instrumentals and the power and depth behind …show more content…

There have been conflicting opinions as to whether this piece can truly be a masterpiece, or whether the vocals were done correctly. Either way, it is impressive as a whole! This piece is the “Ode to Joy” rendition, as well as the movement that earned this symphonic masterpiece the nickname, “the choral”. A hint of each of the previous movements can be detected as the music flows to another surprise: lead vocals! Camilla Nylund performed beautifully as the lead soprano, along with Ekaterina Gubanova, the Mezzo-Soprano. The first of the astounding singers to introduce the vocals is the lead tenor, Matthew Polenzani, accompanied later by Eric Owens. The credit goes to not only these incredibly talented singers, but to Duain Wolfe, the choral director, as

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