Ludwig Van Beethoven
It had been Beethoven's intention to set Schiller's "Ode To Joy", to music as
early as 1793. We know this from the contents of a letter to the poet's wife,
Charlotte Von Schiller, from a close friend of the composer, Ludwig Bartolomaus
Fischenrich. But despite a number of sketches associated with such a project
setting, there is no evidence that the composer contemplated incorporating one
into a symphony until he was well advanced with his work on the purely
instrumental movements of the ninth. Besides the Ninth Symphony, Beethoven had created a number of pieces which
included one of the most popular piano concertos called "The Emperor Concerto
No. 5". This concerto is probably one of the most difficult pieces that any
pianist may attempt to play. As the Ninth Sympony is powerful, so is the
"Emporer Piano Concerto No. 5". Some of his more popular pieces of music are
symphonies called "Eroica No. 3", and "Symphony No. 6" (Pastorale), which to my
knowledge as Walt Disney used in the movie Fantasia, is based upon the mythical
settings that Beethoven might have envisioned. As well as the Ninth Symphony,
Symphony No. 7 is probably one of the favorites as well. And to my knowledge,
this is Beethoven's answer to his people giving them thanks for appreciating his
music at this time. These pieces are popular and as big as the Ninth Symphony.
Everyone who knows Beethoven will recognize Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
Beethoven had also written masses and other pieces that I am still learning
about and listening to myself. I have included the translation of the "Ode To
Joy", so everyone can understand what is being sung
To this day, I have gone through ten copies of
the Ninth Symphony alone, and still counting. I still enjoy listening to the
last movement every time.
In September of 1994, the opening weekend of
the Los Angeles Philharmonic, my mother took me to hear the L.A. Philharmonic
perform Beethoven's Ninth Symony at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. A few weeks
later, my mom asked me if I would like to go hear Beethoven's Ninth and Dvorak's
"New World Symphony No. 9" performed at the Hollywood Bowl. When she asked me I
defintely said yes! This was once again a live performance, it was called
"Daiku" the highlight of the show was Beethoven's "Ode To Joy" being performed
by a 1,000 voices from Japenese and American Chiors. So far this has been the
highlight of my life for enjoying live classical music in concert.
To my
knowledge, I am the only member of my family, other than my mother, to hear
Beethoven's Ninth performed live twice in the same year. From that day forward
to the present and continuing, I have fallen in love with the works of
Beethoven, and many other composers. Ludwig Van Beethoven is my all time
favorite composers; as he may be a favorite of many of yours. Through the course
of these years, I have always had a fascination for listening to Beethoven's
music, one of my main reasons is that he created such great music while he was
deaf. I saw a movie on Beethoven called "Beethoven Lives Upstairs". It is based
on bits and pieces of his life and the creation of Beethoven's 9th as well.
Included in this video is his music of Symphony No. 7.
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