AMD6

This week, as I have been studying for finals, I have found myself listening to classical music- what a shock. However, instead of listening to Bach or Händel, as I usually do, I listened to Beethoven. While I hold Bach in the highest regard, and believe him to be the greatest composer of music that ever lived, I think that Beethoven was the greatest composer of symphonies (with the Austrians Gustav Mahler and WA Mozart a close second and third, respectively). Of Beethoven's symphonies, his 9th is (at least in my opinion, and many other musically educated people) not only his singular greatest piece of work, and one of the greatest- if not the greatest singular work- of all time (in my mind there is a difference between the perfect music that Bach wrote- like his Passions- and the grandeur that is the Ninth Symphony).  Everything about it is amazing in its splendor. In the first movement, Beethoven draws from peace and ambiguity, a driving power and clarity. The second introduces a beautiful fugue, so different from any I have heard before- and I have heard many a fugue. It almost has a medieval air about it. This fugue modulates into a new key and continues the sonata form. The third is completely different than any of the other movements, in that it is slow, lyrical, and calming. After the frenzy that was the second movement, the third feels like a lullaby.

However, these movements all serve as preparation for the final movement, perhaps the most famous piece of music ever written. I would call this fourth movement as symphony within a symphony, in that it has four very distinct parts to it. The first sections briefly quotes all three of the previous movements in order, each dismissed by the cellos and basses which then play in an instrumental foreshadowing of the coming chorale. At the introduction of the main theme, the cellos and basses take it up and play it through. The entire movement as a grand, musical reading of Friedrich Schiller's poem "Ode an Die Freude"- "Ode to Joy" (with some lyrical edits made by Beethoven to fit better musically). The main theme, as sung by the solo bassist begins with:

O Freunde, nicht diese Töne! Sondern laßt uns angenehmere anstimmen, und freudenvollere. Freude! (men's chorus: Freude! ) Freude! (chorus again: Freude! )

He then launches into the main musical theme (what we all hum when we think of Ode to Joy):

Freude, schöner Götterfunken

Tochter aus Elysium,

Wir betreten feuertrunken,

Himmlische, dein Heiligtum!

Deine Zauber binden wieder

Was die Mode streng geteilt;

Alle Menschen werden Brüder,

Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.

The choir repeats, and then all four soloists continue with (after which the choir repeats):

Wem der große Wurf gelungen,
Eines Freundes Freund zu sein;
Wer ein holdes Weib errungen,
Mische seinen Jubel ein!
Ja, wer auch nur eine Seele
Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund!
Und wer's nie gekonnt, der stehle
Weinend sich aus diesem Bund!

Freude trinken alle Wesen
An den Brüsten der Natur;
Alle Guten, alle Bösen
Folgen ihrer Rosenspur.
Küsse gab sie uns und Reben,
Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod;
Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben,
Und der Cherub steht vor Gott.
Vor Gott!

After the climax of "Vor Gott!", the second section of the final movement is a huge contrast. It begins quietly and small- only in the bassoons and piccolos, with a single trumpet. This section takes the form of a military march, in which the solo tenor sings:

Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen
Durch des Himmels prächt'gen Plan,
Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn,
Freudig, wie ein Held zum Siegen.

As the choir and soloist finish singing this part, Beethoven wrote an amazing, powerful double orchestral fugue (oh my gosh!) which drives the ensemble... off of the cliff. As soon as this fugue finishes, there is but momentary quiet... after which the entire ensemble explodes into a recapitulation of the main "Freude, schöner Götterfunken" theme. After this, the third section suddenly begins. It presents a new theme, and is much slower, almost meditative. The text is as follows:

Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Brüder, über'm Sternenzelt
Muss ein lieber Vater wohnen.
Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen?
Ahnest du den Schöpfer, Welt?
Such' ihn über'm Sternenzelt!
Über Sternen muss er wohnen.

The final section is a fugato finale on the themes of the first and third sections of this movement. The movement has a thematic unity, in which every part may be shown to be based on either the main theme, the "Seid umschlungen" theme, or some combination of the two. The final section that the choir sings is:

Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Brüder, über'm Sternenzelt
Muss ein lieber Vater wohnen.
Seid umschlungen,
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Freude, schöner Götterfunken
Tochter aus Elysium,
Freude, schöner Götterfunken
Götterfunken!

Gosh, this was a long post. But, Beethoven's 9th has a very long run time, even relative to other symphonies. It is a grand, beautiful, influential piece of music, and Schiller's poem provides the perfect meaning to the symphony. It is such a joyous piece (obviously), but also conveys a sense of unity and brotherhood ("Was die Mode streng geteilt; Alle Menschen werden Brüder...). There are many wonderful recordings under the hands of great conductors with amazing soloists. If you want an authentic German experience, I would recommend listening to the recording made by Wilhelm Furtwängler; however, the Austrians Karl Böhm and Herbert von Karajan were also incredible conductors and recorded incredible performances of this piece. Personally, I think that nobody was a better conductor of Romantic era music than Leonard Bernstein. So, embedded is his version with the Wiener Philharmoniker, in 1970. Even in his old age, he had such energy and grasp of the music.