Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125

Words almost fail this narrator in attempting to describe this colossal work of genius, written by a deaf man in failing health and depressed by family problems when he first took pen to paper in 1822. His accomplishments were already monumental. He had revolutionized music, dragging it from the salons of the nobility and establishing it, for all to hear, as the most powerful medium of artistic expression in western art. In nearly all musical genres, Beethoven had set new progressive standards that would only be challenged almost a century later. And, still, just a few short years from his death, he had much more to say, leaving us a legacy of the great Missa Solemnis, the final string quartets and, above all else, the Symphony no. 9 in D Minor.

The Ninth was the first great choral symphony, the final movement incorporating a text loosely based on a poem by Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805), Germany’s foremost playwright. Its message, one of freedom and universal brotherhood has resonated ever since. The symphony is one of the most frequently performed classical pieces. Every season, the Tanglewood Festival in Berkshire, Massachusetts closes with Beethoven’s Ninth and the symphony is on the program nearly every summer at the London BBC Promenade Concerts. It is the anthem of the European Union; it was performed when the Berlin Wall fell; it has been sung joyously by choirs and ordinary people around the world to express their hope for freedom and tolerance. Perhaps the most moving performance of the complete symphony has been by the East-West Divan Orchestra, an amalgam of young Jewish and Palestinian musicians led by Daniel Barenboim – a powerful symbol of co-operation and an illustration of what might be possible if people would take time to listen and accept Beethoven’s message echoing through the ages.

Was this Beethoven’s greatest work? Some would argue his Symphony no. 3 in E-Flat (“Eroica”) was more innovative and many of his other works equaled it in terms of artistic excellence; but this writer believes no-one can successfully argue that anything Beethoven composed was so perfect or emotionally gripping from beginning to end.

As we approach the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s death, we can reflect on the legacy of this great musician and humanist. His life was tragic, marred by physical infirmity and a fiery temperament that made lasting relationships almost impossible; but can any mere mortal comprehend what powerful inspiration possessed his mind and soul? We have been blessed by this man and are grateful for how he reshaped artistic and world history, making it possible for other great innovators to follow his example.

Symphony New Brunswick has performed the Ninth twice before, each time an occasion of great significance. This third performance will hopefully be the beginning of a tradition that will last for many years.