Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 – Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, GewandhausChor, Masur, Freiburger, Soffel, Wagner, Howell

About this event

Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, composed between 1822 and 1824, is one of the most monumental works in classical music, celebrated for its groundbreaking use of choral forces in the final movement. The symphony’s significance lies in its fusion of profound emotional depth, structural innovation, and philosophical ideas. The final movement, featuring the "Ode to Joy" based on Friedrich Schiller's poem, embodies a vision of universal brotherhood, human dignity, and the triumph of joy over adversity. Beethoven, by this point profoundly deaf, transcended personal hardship to create a work that expresses both the struggle and the ultimate hope for unity and peace. The symphony’s scale, depth, and idealistic message had a lasting impact on the development of both symphonic music and the cultural conception of music as a vehicle for philosophical and spiritual expression.

Programme

1. Concert – approx. 72 minutes

Repertoire

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor op. 125 “Choral”