Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 transcends the conventional symphony, embodying the ultimate musical invocation for peace and unity on Earth.

The "Ode to Joy," a majestic hymn featured in the symphony's final movement, is celebrated globally. It not only serves as the official anthem of the European Union but has also found its place in the Danish High School Songbook, inviting everyone to join in song. The symphony itself has been performed at significant historical events, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall. Beethoven's score for Symphony No. 9 has now been added to the Memory of the World Programme Heritage list established by the United Nations.

From the outset, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 was an extraordinary feat. Composed during a time when he was completely deaf, Beethoven remarkably surpassed his previous achievements. This symphony, exceeding the length of any of its predecessors, necessitated an unprecedented ensemble of performers. It incorporated a large chorus and four vocal soloists, a pioneering combination for its era. The symphony's fusion of musicians and singers in Friedrich Schiller's poem "Ode an die Freude" – “Ode to Joy”, advocating for a better world, is singularly unique. Initially an abstract instrumental work, the symphony evolves into a profound message-bearing masterpiece.

Transitioning from darkness to light, the first three movements of the symphony are purely instrumental. The chorus and soloists make their dramatic debut in the ecstatic fourth movement, vocalising themes of community, reconciliation, and the transformative power of joy to change the world for the better. In Beethoven's time, an era rife with upheaval, the composer grappled with envisioning a brighter future, yet deemed it a goal worthy of pursuit. The symphony enjoyed immense success. The story of its premiere, conducted by Beethoven himself, has become legendary: though he led from the conductor's podium, the musicians had agreed to follow the lead conductor, not the deaf Beethoven, finishing the piece before Beethoven realized it had concluded. A soloist had to alert him to the end of the symphony and the audience's enthusiastic applause. Today, we continue to applaud this music and the hope it embodies. This year, as the symphony celebrates its 200th anniversary, there is every reason to rejoice.

Foto: Christoph Gedschold. Credit: Alexandra Winter.