I have to give a presentation on Beethoven's 9th symphony...

[Reverend_Smitty]

for my music appreciation class, which is great because I absolutely love that piece. I have to give an overview of the composer and the work, let the class listen to it and explain what is going on. It only has to be a 10-15 min presentation. So I figured that I would just play the ending of the 4th movement because it is instantly recognizable to everyone. (I wish I could play the whole thing) but my question is, does anyone have any interesting tidbits that they could share about either Beethoven or the symphony, other than the really obvious stuff (like he was deaf)? Or could someone direct me to a webpage that has that kind of information? So far I've only found run of the mill info about it. I have about a month until it is due and I'd like to do well on this and I'd like to share a unique perspective or some obscure information that the class wouldn't find in a text book. Can someone steer me in the right direction?

[kwassa]

1. My chorale just performed it last night at the Strathmore

We have an amazing new performing arts facility here in Maryland, and last night was the opening night for the National Symphonic Chorale and Orchestra


Here is a URL on a background article on the 9th.

http://slate.msn.com/id/2084948/

The Beethoven Mystery
Why haven't we figured out his Ninth Symphony yet?
By Jan Swafford
Posted Monday, June 30, 2003, at 2:58 PM PT

excerpt from the middle:
Nobody has figured out what Beethoven meant by all this. The result has been that every age and ideology has simply claimed the music for its own. Communists, Catholics, lefties, and reactionaries have joined in the chorus. A 1999 book by Esteban Buch, recently available in English, traces the course of the Ninth through history. It's been attached to European disunity in the form of nationalism, it got sucked into the Nazi cult of blood and race, and finally it became, with the Joy theme's adoption as the anthem of the European Union, a symbol of togetherness. Others have seen the Ninth as a universal human anthem. Leonard Bernstein conducted it at the international celebration of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and what else would do the job?

For the composer's part, it's a good bet that Beethoven didn't intend for the Ninth to be precisely figured out. As with the Mona Lisa, maybe its very ambiguity is part of its success. Paint it any color you like, and it remains its exalted and inexplicable self. If you want universality in a work of art, here you are. One could argue that the best way of keeping the Ninth alive and fresh is not to pin it down but to embrace its mystery.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

2. You guys sounded good!

I was in the orchestra. :hi:

[kwassa]

4. The orchestra sounded great, too

I was in the audience this time, as I had to take a hiatus from the chorale due to work demands. My wife is also in the chorale, and sang on Saturday. I did perform in the "Messiah" in December, and think I will be able to do the Mozart "Requiem".

I was way up in the third balcony, and it still sounded great.

It is a pretty shocking difference between this and the Fitzgerald, isn't it?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

6. I'm so glad to hear you say that!

I thought Tim Page's review was seriously hypercritical. I'm glad he at least had nice things to say about the chorus. Janice Chandler-Eteme's picture was offendingly omitted from the group of photos the WP chose to display...her voice brought tears to my eyes with its sweetness.

Page's snooty, egocentric critique brought to mind that adage: "Those who can, do; those who can't, review."

[GoddessOfGuinness]

3. Here's some more info:

http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/articles/beethoven/symphony9.html

http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/beethoven.html

http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~simonj/lvb/ninth.html

You might also read The Beethoven Compendium: A Guide to Beethoven's Life and Music by Barry Cooper
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0500278717/qid=1108359917/sr=1-9/ref=sr_1_9/102-9136498-3488160?v=glance&s=books

[Reverend_Smitty]

5. Thank you guys...

these articles are great

[Endangered Specie]

7. Freude!

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.

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 nie gekonnt, der stehle
Weinend sich aus diesem Bund !

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

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

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!
Uber Sternen muss er wohnen.


(I enjoy it much better when I have the German lyrics in front of me :))

some wikipedia links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ode_to_Joy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._9_%28Beethoven%29