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Ludwig Von Beethoven's
9th (Choral) Symphony and Ode to Joy |  |
Composition of the Beethoven's Symphony No. 9
Sketches for the Ninth Symphony began to appear in
1813, shortly after Beethoven's meeting with Goethe. That Beethoven looked up to
Goethe ever after as to a spiritual mentor, studying his works,
absorbing his thought, is plain. In projecting this symphony he may very
well have designed it as a counterpart to Faust, as has been suggested.
Actually begun in 1817, it had to be laid aside before much had been
accomplished on it, in favor of the Mass in D. This gave him plenty of
time to mature his conception of the work; and this ripening process,
covering a period of ten years from its first inception, was one of the
factors which helped him achieve his wondrous result. His work on the
Mass was a good preparation for the psychological problems expounded in
the Symphony.
Here is a work so interwoven into Beethoven's very life and spirit, that
the mention of his name at once calls to mind the Ninth Symphony. It is
the work of the seer approaching the end of his life-drama, giving with
photographic clearness a resume of it. Here are revelations of the inner
nature of a man who had delved deeply into the mysteries surrounding
life, learning this lesson in its fullest significance, that no great
spiritual height is ever attained without renunciation. The world must
be left behind. Asking and getting but little from it, giving it of his
best, counting as nothing its material advantages, realizing always that
contact with it had for him but little joy, the separation from it was
nevertheless a hard task. This mystery constantly confronted Beethoven,
that, even when obeying the finer behests of his nature, peace was not
readily attained thereby; often there was instead, an accession of
unhappiness for the time being. Paradoxically peace was made the
occasion for a struggle; it had to be wrested from life. No victory is
such unless well fought for and dearly bought.
This eternal struggle with fate, this conflict forever raging in the
heart, runs through all the Symphonies, but nowhere is it so strongly
depicted as in this, his last. We have here in new picturing, humanity
at bay, as in the recently completed Kyrie of the grand mass. The
apparently uneven battle of the individual with fate,--the plight of the
human being who finds himself a denizen of a world with which he is
entirely out of harmony, who, wrought up to despair, finds life
impossible yet fears to die,--is here portrayed in dramatic language. To
Wagner the first movement pictured to him "the idea of the world in its
most terrible of lights," something to recoil from. "Beethoven in the
Ninth Symphony," he says, "leads us through the torment of the world
relentlessly until the ode to joy is reached."
Ode to Joy
Schindler, who was almost constantly with Beethoven at this time, tells
of the difficulty the master experienced in finding a suitable way of
introducing the choral part. He finally hit upon the naive device of
adding words of his own in the form of a recitative, which first appears
in the sketch-book as, "Let us sing the immortal Schiller's Song,
'Freude schoener Goetterfunken.'" This was afterward changed to the much
better form as now appears, "O Freunde, nicht diese Toene! sondern lasst
uns angenehmere anstimmen, und freudenvollere." (O friends, not these
tones. Let us sing a strain more cheerful, more joyous.)
The whole character and design of the Ode to Joy will be better
apprehended when it is stated that it is in reality an Ode to Freedom.
With its revolutionary spirit Beethoven was entirely in accord. Already
in his twenty-third year he contemplated setting it to music. Later, in
the note-book of 1812, the first line of the poem appears, in connection
with a scheme for an overture. It is worthy of remark that the Symphony
was well under way before he decided on incorporating the Ode in it.
First Performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony
The concert which took place on May 7, 1824, was the occasion for great
enthusiasm. The programme consisted of the Overture Weihe des Hauses, as
well as the Kyrie, Credo and Agnus Dei of the Mass in D, and the Ninth
Symphony. The solo parts were taken by Madame Sontag and Fraeulein Unger,
who protested more than once at the unsingable nature of some of the
parts in the Choral Finale when practising them at Beethoven's house.
The applause from the very beginning was phenomenal. The people became
vociferous on seeing him, and this enthusiasm was continued throughout
the evening. At the close of the performance the demonstrations became,
if possible, more forcible than before, owing, perhaps, to the fact that
Beethoven maintained his former position, facing the orchestra and with
his back to the audience, as if unaware of the applause. At last
Fraeulein Unger turned him about so that he could see the demonstrations
of the audience. The picture is presented of excited masses of people
carried away by the emotions of the moment, rending the air with
boisterous applause, and in the midst this great one, unresponsive to
the homage showered on him, unconscious, seeing visions, perhaps
planning a Tenth Symphony.
Beethoven's deafness was not total. He was no doubt able to hear some of
this extraordinary applause, and, in any event, must have known that it
would be forthcoming. He had probably become wearied with it all, and
let his thoughts go far afield. The utter vanity of this kind of thing
must often occur to great minds at such a time. These frenzied people by
their very actions showed their inability to comprehend his work, and
could not confer honor in this manner.
Beethoven Facts and Information
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