Album available // Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies by Herbert von Karajan (2024 Remastered, Berlin 1962) ***Listen to our latest mastering update (2024)*** : cutt.ly/Jef2GJXX 🎧 Qobuz Music (Hi-Res) cutt.ly/Nef2GqtP Tidal (Hi-Res) cutt.ly/Bef2GpKA 🎧 Deezer (Hi-Fi) cutt.ly/ief2Ghm5 Amazon Music (Hi-Res) cutt.ly/Eef2GxlZ 🎧 Spotify (mp3) cutt.ly/Ref2GEgW TH-cam Music (mp4) cutt.ly/Jef2GJXX 🔊 ***Download the album (Hi-Res MASTER - WAV uncompressed)*** cutt.ly/Classical-Music-Reference-Recording-Website-Karajan Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 "An die Freude" 00:00 I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco Maestoso 15:27 II. Molto vivace 26:31 III. Adagio molto e cantabile 43:01 IVa. Presto, Allegro assai, Allegro molto assai - Alla marcia 49:23 IVb. Presto, Recitativo: "O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!" - Andante maestoso, Adagio ma non troppo - ma divoto, Allegro energico - sempre ben marcato, Allegro ma non tanto, Prestissimo Berliner Philharmoniker Wiener Singverein Soprano: Gundula Janowitz Alto: Hilde Rössel-Majdan Tenor: Waldemar Kmentt Bass: Walter Berry Conductor: Herbert von Karajan Recorded in 1962, at Berlin New mastering in 2022 by AB for CMRR 🔊 Join us with your phone on our WhatsApp fanpage (our latest album preview): cutt.ly/5eathESK 🔊 Find our entire catalog on Qobuz: cutt.ly/geathMhL 🔊 Discover our playlists on Spotify: cutt.ly/ceatjtlB ❤ Support us on Patreon www.patreon.com/cmrr/about Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125; To Schiller's ode "An die Freude" (Ode to Joy) // Completed in February 1824, the Symphony with Chorus is a universally celebrated poem in music; it is the pinnacle of Beethoven's symphonic output, and the year 1822, in which it was conceived, marks the symphony's most important date... Beethoven wrote seven symphonies between 1800 and 1813, but completed only one, the Symphony in D minor, during the following ten years. Age, illness and other troubles were partly to blame, but so was the fact that he had never worked so seriously on a composition. His long silence was criticized, and one newspaper wrote in 1823: "Beethoven is busy at present harmonizing Scottish songs. He is totally indifferent to any more important work." As early as 1793, Beethoven had been planning to compose music to Schiller's "An die Freude", and among the sketches for the Seventh and Eighth Symphonies we find a melody, dated 1811, to the text "Freude schöner Götterfunken" (Joy, divine spark); it is not, however, the same as the melody for the finale of the Ninth. An almost illegible note indicates that it was intended for a four-movement symphony. For several years, Beethoven had to devote himself to other works, but the idea of composing the music for Schiller's ode came back to him again and again. He began work in earnest in 1817, and his sketches for the first and second movements date from between Christmas of that year and May 1818. The first part he wrote was the main theme of the second movement, indicated as a fugue in the sketches. At this point, his intention was to write two symphonies, one of which was to use choruses. In an 1822 notebook, we find the following indication: "A German symphony, either with variations as an introduction to the choruses, or without variations." Shortly afterwards, Beethoven had completed the final form of the musical setting of "Freude schöner Götterfunken". As he devoted himself more and more to this symphony, he had no time for anything else; he wrote to Schindler: "Samothrace! Don't you dare come here before I send you the Hausscherief (housekeeper). My fast barge, the good and noble Lady Schnaps, will be asking, every few days, how you are. Farewell, and don't bring anyone else here!". "In this solitude," Schindler said, "he works as actively as a bee, wandering through the woods and countryside [this was during the summer of 1823, the one he spent in Hetzendorf and Baden], and something he had never done before, even when he was very moved, he returned home several times without his hat!" The first three movements were completed in autumn 1823, and Beethoven returned to Vienna to compose the last movement; the whole symphony was finally finished in February 1824. It is not known whether Beethoven had intended from the outset to conclude the symphony with a hymn for chorus; among his notes is a draft of the finale, dated July 1823, which was still purely instrumental. His idea of using An die Freude as a finale may have been inspired by the ode's history. It had been written in 1785, just before the French Revolution, and had originally been entitled An die Freiheit (To Liberty). Freiheit had to be replaced by Freude (joy), but Beethoven, like many others, was well aware of the change and the political reasons behind it. He must have been delighted to be able to sing the praises of freedom so openly, despite the censors. The work required a very large orchestra for its time: the composer, for example, called for forty-six string instruments. He also demanded a great deal from his singers, as he had not always taken into account the natural limitations of the human voice, but had written for both choir and soloists in the same way as for instruments. The last movement of the Ninth Symphony is, for this reason, considered one of the most difficult passages for singers. When news spread that Beethoven had completed a major new symphony, he was strongly lobbied to have it premiered in Vienna. The previous year, the London Philharmonic Society had commissioned a symphony from Beethoven, and he therefore intended to give the Ninth only an "academic" performance in Vienna. The rehearsals, or as the singer Caroline Unger called them, "the quarrels", were not without serious altercations between the musicians and the composer. He finally gave in, and the first performance took place on May 7, 1824, at the Kärntnerthor Theater in Vienna. Michael Umlauf conducted the orchestra and Ignaz Schuppanzigh led the chorus, while Beethoven stood next to the conductor throughout. As soon as he entered, he was greeted with enthusiasm. It later became so enthusiastic that the police had to intervene to maintain order. Although the performance was mediocre, the audience was delighted, and after the famous timpani solo in the scherzo, the spontaneous applause was so frenzied that the orchestra had to stop playing. Beethoven, unable to hear the applause, continued to conduct, and Caroline Unger urged him to turn to face the audience to welcome the ovation he could see but not hear. The critics were enchanted by this work: "Beethoven's genius was again revealed in this magnificent, gigantic composition with the same power and force as in his youth.... The impression it made was greater and more wonderful than can be described, the shouts of joy so enthusiastically addressed to the master who had unveiled a new world in this masterpiece...". Czerny recounted that, after the performance, Beethoven declared that he was dissatisfied with the finale with chorus, and intended to replace it with a purely orchestral part; he even knew the theme, which he used, in a different key, in his Quartet in A minor, Op. 132. Mendelssohn declared in 1837: "The instrumental parts are the most imposing I know, but in the parts for human voices I can no longer understand. I find that some parts taken in isolation are excellent, but, when it comes to the work of a great master, this incomprehension can only be imputed to us, whether we are listeners or performers." Romain Rolland, on the other hand, wrote: "Here are the heavy clouds swollen with lightning, black with night, heavy with storm, at the beginning of the Ninth. Suddenly, at the height of the hurricane, the darkness is torn apart, night is driven from the sky, and the serenity of day is restored to us by an act of will." Niels Gade, speaking of the Dresden performance of the work in 1846, said he would have gladly made the journey from Leipzig (where he was living at the time) just to hear the bass recitatives at the start of the finale again. Wagner, for his part, swore by the Ninth. As early as 1830, while still a student at Leipzig's Thomasschule, he wrote a 2-hand piano reduction of the 9th Symphony. In 1972, the Council of Europe adopted Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" as its anthem. In 1985, the Heads of State and Government of the member states adopted it as the official anthem of the European Union. Beethoven: Missa Solemnis in D Major Op. 123 🎧 Qobuz (Hi-Res) bit.ly/3GvePTF Tidal (Hi-Res) bit.ly/3gqfOd3 🎧 Deezer (Hi-Fi) bit.ly/3AYaWp4 Amazon Music (Hi-Fi) amzn.to/3B1K8Eh 🎧 Spotify (mp3) spoti.fi/3QTq8gH Amazon Store (mp3) amzn.to/3LctyGE 🎧 TH-cam Music (mp4) bit.ly/3QWjarr Soundcloud bit.ly/3rsmc9W
Wow! The "young" Karajan truly was remarkable - and the Berlin Philharmonics was on fire! It picks you up and sweeps you off your feet with the first bar and does not let go until the very end!
And so ends, in style, the publication of Beethoven's 9 Symphonies, symphony by symphony. We hope that listening to them and reading the articles will have brought you as much "Freude" as it did to us during their preparation...
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125; To Schiller's ode "An die Freude" (Ode to Joy) // Completed in February 1824, the Symphony with Chorus is a universally celebrated poem in music; it is the pinnacle of Beethoven's symphonic output, and the year 1822, in which it was conceived, marks the symphony's most important date... Beethoven wrote seven symphonies between 1800 and 1813, but completed only one, the Symphony in D minor, during the following ten years. Age, illness and other troubles were partly to blame, but so was the fact that he had never worked so seriously on a composition. His long silence was criticized, and one newspaper wrote in 1823: "Beethoven is busy at present harmonizing Scottish songs. He is totally indifferent to any more important work." As early as 1793, Beethoven had been planning to compose music to Schiller's "An die Freude", and among the sketches for the Seventh and Eighth Symphonies we find a melody, dated 1811, to the text "Freude schöner Götterfunken" (Joy, divine spark); it is not, however, the same as the melody for the finale of the Ninth. An almost illegible note indicates that it was intended for a four-movement symphony. For several years, Beethoven had to devote himself to other works, but the idea of composing the music for Schiller's ode came back to him again and again. He began work in earnest in 1817, and his sketches for the first and second movements date from between Christmas of that year and May 1818. The first part he wrote was the main theme of the second movement, indicated as a fugue in the sketches. At this point, his intention was to write two symphonies, one of which was to use choruses. In an 1822 notebook, we find the following indication: "A German symphony, either with variations as an introduction to the choruses, or without variations." Shortly afterwards, Beethoven had completed the final form of the musical setting of "Freude schöner Götterfunken". As he devoted himself more and more to this symphony, he had no time for anything else; he wrote to Schindler: "Samothrace! Don't you dare come here before I send you the Hausscherief (housekeeper). My fast barge, the good and noble Lady Schnaps, will be asking, every few days, how you are. Farewell, and don't bring anyone else here!". "In this solitude," Schindler said, "he works as actively as a bee, wandering through the woods and countryside [this was during the summer of 1823, the one he spent in Hetzendorf and Baden], and something he had never done before, even when he was very moved, he returned home several times without his hat!" The first three movements were completed in autumn 1823, and Beethoven returned to Vienna to compose the last movement; the whole symphony was finally finished in February 1824. It is not known whether Beethoven had intended from the outset to conclude the symphony with a hymn for chorus; among his notes is a draft of the finale, dated July 1823, which was still purely instrumental. His idea of using An die Freude as a finale may have been inspired by the ode's history. It had been written in 1785, just before the French Revolution, and had originally been entitled An die Freiheit (To Liberty). Freiheit had to be replaced by Freude (joy), but Beethoven, like many others, was well aware of the change and the political reasons behind it. He must have been delighted to be able to sing the praises of freedom so openly, despite the censors. The work required a very large orchestra for its time: the composer, for example, called for forty-six string instruments. He also demanded a great deal from his singers, as he had not always taken into account the natural limitations of the human voice, but had written for both choir and soloists in the same way as for instruments. The last movement of the Ninth Symphony is, for this reason, considered one of the most difficult passages for singers. When news spread that Beethoven had completed a major new symphony, he was strongly lobbied to have it premiered in Vienna. The previous year, the London Philharmonic Society had commissioned a symphony from Beethoven, and he therefore intended to give the Ninth only an "academic" performance in Vienna. The rehearsals, or as the singer Caroline Unger called them, "the quarrels", were not without serious altercations between the musicians and the composer. He finally gave in, and the first performance took place on May 7, 1824, at the Kärntnerthor Theater in Vienna. Michael Umlauf conducted the orchestra and Ignaz Schuppanzigh led the chorus, while Beethoven stood next to the conductor throughout. As soon as he entered, he was greeted with enthusiasm. It later became so enthusiastic that the police had to intervene to maintain order. Although the performance was mediocre, the audience was delighted, and after the famous timpani solo in the scherzo, the spontaneous applause was so frenzied that the orchestra had to stop playing. Beethoven, unable to hear the applause, continued to conduct, and Caroline Unger urged him to turn to face the audience to welcome the ovation he could see but not hear. The critics were enchanted by this work: "Beethoven's genius was again revealed in this magnificent, gigantic composition with the same power and force as in his youth.... The impression it made was greater and more wonderful than can be described, the shouts of joy so enthusiastically addressed to the master who had unveiled a new world in this masterpiece...". Czerny recounted that, after the performance, Beethoven declared that he was dissatisfied with the finale with chorus, and intended to replace it with a purely orchestral part; he even knew the theme, which he used, in a different key, in his Quartet in A minor, Op. 132. Mendelssohn declared in 1837: "The instrumental parts are the most imposing I know, but in the parts for human voices I can no longer understand. I find that some parts taken in isolation are excellent, but, when it comes to the work of a great master, this incomprehension can only be imputed to us, whether we are listeners or performers." Romain Rolland, on the other hand, wrote: "Here are the heavy clouds swollen with lightning, black with night, heavy with storm, at the beginning of the Ninth. Suddenly, at the height of the hurricane, the darkness is torn apart, night is driven from the sky, and the serenity of day is restored to us by an act of will." Niels Gade, speaking of the Dresden performance of the work in 1846, said he would have gladly made the journey from Leipzig (where he was living at the time) just to hear the bass recitatives at the start of the finale again. Wagner, for his part, swore by the Ninth. As early as 1830, while still a student at Leipzig's Thomasschule, he wrote a 2-hand piano reduction of the 9th Symphony. In 1972, the Council of Europe adopted Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" as its anthem. In 1985, the Heads of State and Government of the member states adopted it as the official anthem of the European Union. I. Allegro, ma non troppo, un poco maestoso. The movement begins pianissimo in the strings and horns, with small descending phrases that seem insignificant, then become increasingly loud until the powerful main theme appears like lightning falling from the sky. The movement is epic in its breadth and dramatic power. The passage in which the timpani roll frenetically for thirty-eight bars sounds like a storm. The movement ends with the main theme played in unison, percussive as thunder. II. Molto vivace. This is the only scherzo in all Beethoven's symphonies - apart from the Eighth, which is in second place, the usual position being that of the third movement. The main theme is treated as a fugue, with an equality of rhythm that is maintained throughout. Here, the timpani and the rest of the orchestra take up the theme alternately. A cheerful rustic air is heard in triple variations, and returns again at the end. III. Adagio molto e cantabile. Considered one of Beethoven's finest inspirations. It is a peaceful, religious cantabile in B flat, followed by a lighter, more fanciful section in D. One music critic described it thus: "Both themes have a divine breath and float towards infinity. It's as if the music suppresses time and space and gives us a glimpse of eternity." IV. Presto. In this movement, the tempo changes frequently and the peaceful atmosphere is destroyed. The noisy dissonance of a short, violent presto is abruptly broken by imperious recitatives played by double basses and cellos. The agitated atmosphere is broken by repeated reminiscences of the preceding movements, but each of these is cut short by the double bass until, finally, the woodwinds introduce a new melody, and the theme 'Freude' takes shape, calm, majestic and uninterrupted. It is taken up again, in fugal style, by the strings, so that once again the dissonances of the opening bars can be heard, but this time the human voice replaces these frightening sounds, and all is rejoicing. The 'Freude' theme passes from baritone to chorus and solo quartet. The second major part of the finale with chorus begins with an Andante maestoso, in which tenors and baritones sing in powerful unison. Then comes a passage of uncertainty and fear, but soon conviction and joy reappear. In an allegro energico, the 'Freude' theme and the unison theme of the male voices come together in a powerful double fugue. The movement gradually acquires enormous dimensions, and finally rises to a joyful prestissimo, celebrating the Creator and his creation. ❤ Join us on our WhatsApps fanpage (our latest album preview): bit.ly/3Mraw1r
I heard all the nine symphonies, this is by far the best remastered of them , especially in the sound of the strings, not a shred of shrillness, just the hole glory of those magnificent recordings, thank you for the splendid job that you did
Großartige und wunderschöne Interpretation dieser ewigen und perfekt komponierten Sinfonie mit gut vereinigten und perfekt entsprechenden Tönen aller Instrumente sowie gut harmonisierten Stimmen des ausgezeichneten Chors und herrlichen Stimmen vierer unvergleichlichen Solisten. Der intelligente und ebenso unvergleichliche Maestro dirigiert das weltklassige Orchester im gut analysierten Tempo und mit dramatischer Dynamik. Wunderbar vom Anfang bis zum Ende!
Oui, vous avez raison, c'est cettte version que je préfère! Karajan jouait déjà Paris pendant l'occupation allemande à l'Opéra de Paris , mais on ne peut pas lui en vouloir, il resteun excellent chef d'orcheste . Homage à Beethoven pour les 200 ans de sa 9me symphonie . Cordialement !
In the delicate dance of instruments and melodies, classical music unveils a symphony of emotions that transcends language and speaks directly to the soul.
To Beethoven’s Ode to Joy Do we see the sunbeam, Through the cosmos of the soul? Is the fire felt, Burning it whole? Do we hear the Angel wail, With Elysium’s terror? Devouring beauty, Hailed by the pallbearer? Digging graves in meadows, Seeds scattering in desolate land, The raven’s vigil in the rainbow, Lofty rage turning to sand. Do we hear the Titan’s roar? The Angel’s mad trumpet? The sound and fury galore, Heart overbrimming more, more, The light declares war. Erupting, scorching, The abysmal Doubt descends, The flurry of what has grown, Bursts forth in whirlwinds. Sound and fury carry forth, The joyful rage, Nothing more, Becoming is the final stage, The song of Angels and Titans, Does life adore, Nothing more, Glory of life evermore. "With Joy i hasten towards death; come when thou will, i shall meet thee bravely"---Ludwig van Beethoven
please.... for the love of god....... DO NOT upload "remaster"s 😭😭. especially from berliner philarmoniker. that place has been a rat hole since simon the snake!!!! they really don't know what they are doing.. they are killing the tone with their eq's and whatnot which karajan created meticulously. other than your preference for shitmasters, this channel is a gold mine. thank you.
Он наверняка кричал: "зиг хайль!" и вскидывал свои замечательные руки дирижера. Простите, не мог не вспомнить это знаменитому члену НСДАП, любимцу Геббельса и Герринга. Не забудем, не простим! Всегда будем помнить! Прекрасная музыка от маэстро, но невероятная неразборчивость в политике, в жизни. Бетховен не нацист, Караян нацист - никогда этого не забываем.
Album available // Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies by Herbert von Karajan (2024 Remastered, Berlin 1962)
***Listen to our latest mastering update (2024)*** : cutt.ly/Jef2GJXX
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🔊 ***Download the album (Hi-Res MASTER - WAV uncompressed)*** cutt.ly/Classical-Music-Reference-Recording-Website-Karajan
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 "An die Freude"
00:00 I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco Maestoso
15:27 II. Molto vivace
26:31 III. Adagio molto e cantabile
43:01 IVa. Presto, Allegro assai, Allegro molto assai - Alla marcia
49:23 IVb. Presto, Recitativo: "O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!" - Andante maestoso, Adagio ma non troppo - ma divoto, Allegro energico - sempre ben marcato, Allegro ma non tanto, Prestissimo
Berliner Philharmoniker
Wiener Singverein
Soprano: Gundula Janowitz
Alto: Hilde Rössel-Majdan
Tenor: Waldemar Kmentt
Bass: Walter Berry
Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
Recorded in 1962, at Berlin
New mastering in 2022 by AB for CMRR
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Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125; To Schiller's ode "An die Freude" (Ode to Joy) // Completed in February 1824, the Symphony with Chorus is a universally celebrated poem in music; it is the pinnacle of Beethoven's symphonic output, and the year 1822, in which it was conceived, marks the symphony's most important date...
Beethoven wrote seven symphonies between 1800 and 1813, but completed only one, the Symphony in D minor, during the following ten years. Age, illness and other troubles were partly to blame, but so was the fact that he had never worked so seriously on a composition. His long silence was criticized, and one newspaper wrote in 1823: "Beethoven is busy at present harmonizing Scottish songs. He is totally indifferent to any more important work."
As early as 1793, Beethoven had been planning to compose music to Schiller's "An die Freude", and among the sketches for the Seventh and Eighth Symphonies we find a melody, dated 1811, to the text "Freude schöner Götterfunken" (Joy, divine spark); it is not, however, the same as the melody for the finale of the Ninth. An almost illegible note indicates that it was intended for a four-movement symphony. For several years, Beethoven had to devote himself to other works, but the idea of composing the music for Schiller's ode came back to him again and again. He began work in earnest in 1817, and his sketches for the first and second movements date from between Christmas of that year and May 1818. The first part he wrote was the main theme of the second movement, indicated as a fugue in the sketches. At this point, his intention was to write two symphonies, one of which was to use choruses.
In an 1822 notebook, we find the following indication: "A German symphony, either with variations as an introduction to the choruses, or without variations." Shortly afterwards, Beethoven had completed the final form of the musical setting of "Freude schöner Götterfunken". As he devoted himself more and more to this symphony, he had no time for anything else; he wrote to Schindler: "Samothrace! Don't you dare come here before I send you the Hausscherief (housekeeper). My fast barge, the good and noble Lady Schnaps, will be asking, every few days, how you are. Farewell, and don't bring anyone else here!". "In this solitude," Schindler said, "he works as actively as a bee, wandering through the woods and countryside [this was during the summer of 1823, the one he spent in Hetzendorf and Baden], and something he had never done before, even when he was very moved, he returned home several times without his hat!"
The first three movements were completed in autumn 1823, and Beethoven returned to Vienna to compose the last movement; the whole symphony was finally finished in February 1824. It is not known whether Beethoven had intended from the outset to conclude the symphony with a hymn for chorus; among his notes is a draft of the finale, dated July 1823, which was still purely instrumental. His idea of using An die Freude as a finale may have been inspired by the ode's history. It had been written in 1785, just before the French Revolution, and had originally been entitled An die Freiheit (To Liberty). Freiheit had to be replaced by Freude (joy), but Beethoven, like many others, was well aware of the change and the political reasons behind it. He must have been delighted to be able to sing the praises of freedom so openly, despite the censors.
The work required a very large orchestra for its time: the composer, for example, called for forty-six string instruments. He also demanded a great deal from his singers, as he had not always taken into account the natural limitations of the human voice, but had written for both choir and soloists in the same way as for instruments. The last movement of the Ninth Symphony is, for this reason, considered one of the most difficult passages for singers.
When news spread that Beethoven had completed a major new symphony, he was strongly lobbied to have it premiered in Vienna. The previous year, the London Philharmonic Society had commissioned a symphony from Beethoven, and he therefore intended to give the Ninth only an "academic" performance in Vienna. The rehearsals, or as the singer Caroline Unger called them, "the quarrels", were not without serious altercations between the musicians and the composer. He finally gave in, and the first performance took place on May 7, 1824, at the Kärntnerthor Theater in Vienna. Michael Umlauf conducted the orchestra and Ignaz Schuppanzigh led the chorus, while Beethoven stood next to the conductor throughout. As soon as he entered, he was greeted with enthusiasm. It later became so enthusiastic that the police had to intervene to maintain order. Although the performance was mediocre, the audience was delighted, and after the famous timpani solo in the scherzo, the spontaneous applause was so frenzied that the orchestra had to stop playing. Beethoven, unable to hear the applause, continued to conduct, and Caroline Unger urged him to turn to face the audience to welcome the ovation he could see but not hear.
The critics were enchanted by this work: "Beethoven's genius was again revealed in this magnificent, gigantic composition with the same power and force as in his youth.... The impression it made was greater and more wonderful than can be described, the shouts of joy so enthusiastically addressed to the master who had unveiled a new world in this masterpiece...".
Czerny recounted that, after the performance, Beethoven declared that he was dissatisfied with the finale with chorus, and intended to replace it with a purely orchestral part; he even knew the theme, which he used, in a different key, in his Quartet in A minor, Op. 132. Mendelssohn declared in 1837: "The instrumental parts are the most imposing I know, but in the parts for human voices I can no longer understand. I find that some parts taken in isolation are excellent, but, when it comes to the work of a great master, this incomprehension can only be imputed to us, whether we are listeners or performers."
Romain Rolland, on the other hand, wrote: "Here are the heavy clouds swollen with lightning, black with night, heavy with storm, at the beginning of the Ninth. Suddenly, at the height of the hurricane, the darkness is torn apart, night is driven from the sky, and the serenity of day is restored to us by an act of will."
Niels Gade, speaking of the Dresden performance of the work in 1846, said he would have gladly made the journey from Leipzig (where he was living at the time) just to hear the bass recitatives at the start of the finale again. Wagner, for his part, swore by the Ninth. As early as 1830, while still a student at Leipzig's Thomasschule, he wrote a 2-hand piano reduction of the 9th Symphony. In 1972, the Council of Europe adopted Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" as its anthem. In 1985, the Heads of State and Government of the member states adopted it as the official anthem of the European Union.
Beethoven: Missa Solemnis in D Major Op. 123
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🎧 Spotify (mp3) spoti.fi/3QTq8gH Amazon Store (mp3) amzn.to/3LctyGE
🎧 TH-cam Music (mp4) bit.ly/3QWjarr Soundcloud bit.ly/3rsmc9W
Happy 200th anniversary to the greatest symphony ever!
Wow! The "young" Karajan truly was remarkable - and the Berlin Philharmonics was on fire! It picks you up and sweeps you off your feet with the first bar and does not let go until the very end!
And so ends, in style, the publication of Beethoven's 9 Symphonies, symphony by symphony. We hope that listening to them and reading the articles will have brought you as much "Freude" as it did to us during their preparation...
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125; To Schiller's ode "An die Freude" (Ode to Joy) // Completed in February 1824, the Symphony with Chorus is a universally celebrated poem in music; it is the pinnacle of Beethoven's symphonic output, and the year 1822, in which it was conceived, marks the symphony's most important date... Beethoven wrote seven symphonies between 1800 and 1813, but completed only one, the Symphony in D minor, during the following ten years. Age, illness and other troubles were partly to blame, but so was the fact that he had never worked so seriously on a composition. His long silence was criticized, and one newspaper wrote in 1823: "Beethoven is busy at present harmonizing Scottish songs. He is totally indifferent to any more important work."
As early as 1793, Beethoven had been planning to compose music to Schiller's "An die Freude", and among the sketches for the Seventh and Eighth Symphonies we find a melody, dated 1811, to the text "Freude schöner Götterfunken" (Joy, divine spark); it is not, however, the same as the melody for the finale of the Ninth. An almost illegible note indicates that it was intended for a four-movement symphony. For several years, Beethoven had to devote himself to other works, but the idea of composing the music for Schiller's ode came back to him again and again. He began work in earnest in 1817, and his sketches for the first and second movements date from between Christmas of that year and May 1818. The first part he wrote was the main theme of the second movement, indicated as a fugue in the sketches. At this point, his intention was to write two symphonies, one of which was to use choruses.
In an 1822 notebook, we find the following indication: "A German symphony, either with variations as an introduction to the choruses, or without variations." Shortly afterwards, Beethoven had completed the final form of the musical setting of "Freude schöner Götterfunken". As he devoted himself more and more to this symphony, he had no time for anything else; he wrote to Schindler: "Samothrace! Don't you dare come here before I send you the Hausscherief (housekeeper). My fast barge, the good and noble Lady Schnaps, will be asking, every few days, how you are. Farewell, and don't bring anyone else here!". "In this solitude," Schindler said, "he works as actively as a bee, wandering through the woods and countryside [this was during the summer of 1823, the one he spent in Hetzendorf and Baden], and something he had never done before, even when he was very moved, he returned home several times without his hat!"
The first three movements were completed in autumn 1823, and Beethoven returned to Vienna to compose the last movement; the whole symphony was finally finished in February 1824. It is not known whether Beethoven had intended from the outset to conclude the symphony with a hymn for chorus; among his notes is a draft of the finale, dated July 1823, which was still purely instrumental. His idea of using An die Freude as a finale may have been inspired by the ode's history. It had been written in 1785, just before the French Revolution, and had originally been entitled An die Freiheit (To Liberty). Freiheit had to be replaced by Freude (joy), but Beethoven, like many others, was well aware of the change and the political reasons behind it. He must have been delighted to be able to sing the praises of freedom so openly, despite the censors.
The work required a very large orchestra for its time: the composer, for example, called for forty-six string instruments. He also demanded a great deal from his singers, as he had not always taken into account the natural limitations of the human voice, but had written for both choir and soloists in the same way as for instruments. The last movement of the Ninth Symphony is, for this reason, considered one of the most difficult passages for singers.
When news spread that Beethoven had completed a major new symphony, he was strongly lobbied to have it premiered in Vienna. The previous year, the London Philharmonic Society had commissioned a symphony from Beethoven, and he therefore intended to give the Ninth only an "academic" performance in Vienna. The rehearsals, or as the singer Caroline Unger called them, "the quarrels", were not without serious altercations between the musicians and the composer. He finally gave in, and the first performance took place on May 7, 1824, at the Kärntnerthor Theater in Vienna. Michael Umlauf conducted the orchestra and Ignaz Schuppanzigh led the chorus, while Beethoven stood next to the conductor throughout. As soon as he entered, he was greeted with enthusiasm. It later became so enthusiastic that the police had to intervene to maintain order. Although the performance was mediocre, the audience was delighted, and after the famous timpani solo in the scherzo, the spontaneous applause was so frenzied that the orchestra had to stop playing. Beethoven, unable to hear the applause, continued to conduct, and Caroline Unger urged him to turn to face the audience to welcome the ovation he could see but not hear.
The critics were enchanted by this work: "Beethoven's genius was again revealed in this magnificent, gigantic composition with the same power and force as in his youth.... The impression it made was greater and more wonderful than can be described, the shouts of joy so enthusiastically addressed to the master who had unveiled a new world in this masterpiece...".
Czerny recounted that, after the performance, Beethoven declared that he was dissatisfied with the finale with chorus, and intended to replace it with a purely orchestral part; he even knew the theme, which he used, in a different key, in his Quartet in A minor, Op. 132. Mendelssohn declared in 1837: "The instrumental parts are the most imposing I know, but in the parts for human voices I can no longer understand. I find that some parts taken in isolation are excellent, but, when it comes to the work of a great master, this incomprehension can only be imputed to us, whether we are listeners or performers."
Romain Rolland, on the other hand, wrote: "Here are the heavy clouds swollen with lightning, black with night, heavy with storm, at the beginning of the Ninth. Suddenly, at the height of the hurricane, the darkness is torn apart, night is driven from the sky, and the serenity of day is restored to us by an act of will."
Niels Gade, speaking of the Dresden performance of the work in 1846, said he would have gladly made the journey from Leipzig (where he was living at the time) just to hear the bass recitatives at the start of the finale again. Wagner, for his part, swore by the Ninth. As early as 1830, while still a student at Leipzig's Thomasschule, he wrote a 2-hand piano reduction of the 9th Symphony. In 1972, the Council of Europe adopted Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" as its anthem. In 1985, the Heads of State and Government of the member states adopted it as the official anthem of the European Union.
I. Allegro, ma non troppo, un poco maestoso. The movement begins pianissimo in the strings and horns, with small descending phrases that seem insignificant, then become increasingly loud until the powerful main theme appears like lightning falling from the sky. The movement is epic in its breadth and dramatic power. The passage in which the timpani roll frenetically for thirty-eight bars sounds like a storm. The movement ends with the main theme played in unison, percussive as thunder.
II. Molto vivace. This is the only scherzo in all Beethoven's symphonies - apart from the Eighth, which is in second place, the usual position being that of the third movement. The main theme is treated as a fugue, with an equality of rhythm that is maintained throughout. Here, the timpani and the rest of the orchestra take up the theme alternately. A cheerful rustic air is heard in triple variations, and returns again at the end.
III. Adagio molto e cantabile. Considered one of Beethoven's finest inspirations. It is a peaceful, religious cantabile in B flat, followed by a lighter, more fanciful section in D. One music critic described it thus: "Both themes have a divine breath and float towards infinity. It's as if the music suppresses time and space and gives us a glimpse of eternity."
IV. Presto. In this movement, the tempo changes frequently and the peaceful atmosphere is destroyed. The noisy dissonance of a short, violent presto is abruptly broken by imperious recitatives played by double basses and cellos. The agitated atmosphere is broken by repeated reminiscences of the preceding movements, but each of these is cut short by the double bass until, finally, the woodwinds introduce a new melody, and the theme 'Freude' takes shape, calm, majestic and uninterrupted. It is taken up again, in fugal style, by the strings, so that once again the dissonances of the opening bars can be heard, but this time the human voice replaces these frightening sounds, and all is rejoicing. The 'Freude' theme passes from baritone to chorus and solo quartet. The second major part of the finale with chorus begins with an Andante maestoso, in which tenors and baritones sing in powerful unison. Then comes a passage of uncertainty and fear, but soon conviction and joy reappear. In an allegro energico, the 'Freude' theme and the unison theme of the male voices come together in a powerful double fugue. The movement gradually acquires enormous dimensions, and finally rises to a joyful prestissimo, celebrating the Creator and his creation.
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I heard all the nine symphonies, this is by far the best remastered of them , especially in the sound of the strings, not a shred of shrillness, just the hole glory of those magnificent recordings, thank you for the splendid job that you did
*whole
Großartige und wunderschöne Interpretation dieser ewigen und perfekt komponierten Sinfonie mit gut vereinigten und perfekt entsprechenden Tönen aller Instrumente sowie gut harmonisierten Stimmen des ausgezeichneten Chors und herrlichen Stimmen vierer unvergleichlichen Solisten. Der intelligente und ebenso unvergleichliche Maestro dirigiert das weltklassige Orchester im gut analysierten Tempo und mit dramatischer Dynamik. Wunderbar vom Anfang bis zum Ende!
Oui, vous avez raison, c'est cettte version que je préfère! Karajan jouait déjà Paris pendant l'occupation allemande à l'Opéra de Paris , mais on ne peut pas lui en vouloir, il resteun excellent chef d'orcheste . Homage à Beethoven pour les 200 ans de sa 9me symphonie . Cordialement !
Караян и Фуртвенглер - величайшие интерпретаторы Бетховена! На века!
A great cycle by an outstanding conductor.
To me, this great 1962 Karajan recording does seem to be the best and the most beautiful Beethoven 9th - still unmatched to this day! 👍❤
Love it very much !! ❤
In the delicate dance of instruments and melodies, classical music unveils a symphony of emotions that transcends language and speaks directly to the soul.
Certainement sa meilleure version de la 9ème avec surtout celle de 1947 encore supérieure avec les Wiener Philarmoniker, inégalable et intouchable
Thank you very much. 🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉
Gran ejecución. Pero esperaba más
Mejor interpretación de todos los tiempos de la novena sinfonía
To Beethoven’s Ode to Joy
Do we see the sunbeam,
Through the cosmos of the soul?
Is the fire felt,
Burning it whole?
Do we hear the Angel wail,
With Elysium’s terror?
Devouring beauty,
Hailed by the pallbearer?
Digging graves in meadows,
Seeds scattering in desolate land,
The raven’s vigil in the rainbow,
Lofty rage turning to sand.
Do we hear the Titan’s roar?
The Angel’s mad trumpet?
The sound and fury galore,
Heart overbrimming more, more,
The light declares war.
Erupting, scorching,
The abysmal Doubt descends,
The flurry of what has grown,
Bursts forth in whirlwinds.
Sound and fury carry forth,
The joyful rage,
Nothing more,
Becoming is the final stage,
The song of Angels and Titans,
Does life adore,
Nothing more,
Glory of life evermore.
"With Joy i hasten towards death; come when thou will, i shall meet thee bravely"---Ludwig van Beethoven
É essa MÚSICA 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 que viaja pelo espaço numa sonda lançada pela NASA.Realmente é o " HINO DA HUMANIDADE".❤❤❤❤
Nothing is traveling through space because it doesn't exist.
Es un 🎉❤
Muchas gracias por compartir el ciclo completo de las Sinfonias de Beethoven.
que dire ,c'est juste extraordinaire ;-)
Thanks. And please notice the viola in the 3rd movement.
💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯
1:00:23
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Караян это как Гергиев ? 🤔
the strings, winds and brass at 17:25 don't sound like Karajan
I have this version in japanese limited edition Vinyl/Record. 😊
please.... for the love of god....... DO NOT upload "remaster"s 😭😭. especially from berliner philarmoniker. that place has been a rat hole since simon the snake!!!! they really don't know what they are doing.. they are killing the tone with their eq's and whatnot which karajan created meticulously.
other than your preference for shitmasters, this channel is a gold mine. thank you.
Он наверняка кричал: "зиг хайль!" и вскидывал свои замечательные руки дирижера. Простите, не мог не вспомнить это знаменитому члену НСДАП, любимцу Геббельса и Герринга. Не забудем, не простим! Всегда будем помнить! Прекрасная музыка от маэстро, но невероятная неразборчивость в политике, в жизни. Бетховен не нацист, Караян нацист - никогда этого не забываем.
Уймитесь, болезный!
Thanks a lot for sharing this jewel.