Beethoven's 9th - What's that all about?! (Part 1)
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- čas přidán 15. 07. 2024
- 0:00 Introduction with Loki
0:35 200th anniversary of Beethoven 9
0:53 The Theater am Kärntnertor in Vienna
1:14 Proposal of a soap opera format. What do you think?
1:50 The 9th century in Beethoven’s career
2:47 The evolution of Beethoven’s style
3:17 The middle period
3:41 The Theatre an Der Wien concert in 1808
4:00 The premiere of the 5th and 6th symphonies
4:48 The Choral Fantasia and the Ode to Joy
6:36 Years of struggle
7:28 The Phoenix-like emergence of the late period
8:58 Schiller’s Ode to Joy and Beethoven’s universal hymn
9:20 There’s more to the 9th than the finale!
9:37 Beethoven never repeats himself
10:21 The open ‘primal’ 5th
12:10 Dotted rhythms
12:46 Momentum
12:58 The emergence of D
13:15 The main theme
13:54 Beethoven: Romanticism and looking back
14:37 Almost like a French Overture
15:12 Harmony comes in
15:37 The Neapolitan (E flat)
16:04 answering phrase on the dominant
16:18 Beethoven disrupts rhythm at the cadence
17:38 The 2nd sentence on tonic
18:32 The emergence of B flat
19:00 Transition (Liszt’s transcription)
19:25 We’re on the move! The Toccata
20:08 A comparison with Beethoven’s 5th symphony (Learned Style)
21:02 The canon and the wonderful modulation
22:32 The new serene Pastoral character
22:55 It’s like a play
23:10 Do you want a 2nd episode on the 2nd subject…?
23:40 Liszt’s arrangement of the 1st Subject of Beethoven 9 with analytical commentary
To celebrate the 200th anniversary of the premiere of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony in May 1824, this video attempts to explain a work which has attained monumental status within Western culture. Matthew King discusses Beethoven’s final symphony in the context of his entire career and the evolution of his style. There is a comparison between Beethoven’s triumphant Viennese symphonic concert in 1808 and his ‘return’ concert in 1824. Matthew King then explains the extraordinary opening of the symphony, emerging as if out of primal mystery, and he considers how Beethoven’s material manages both to look forward to Romanticism, and also back to the past with elements of Baroque style.
If you would like the survey of Beethoven's 9th symphony to continue, please say so in the comments below.
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Beethoven Symphony no. 9 in D Minor Op. 125 (transcription by Franz Liszt)
Pianist: Matthew King.
Liszt’s complete transcription of the first movement of Beethoven 9 can be heard here in a recording by Cyprien Katsaris: • Beethoven-Liszt - Symp...
A fine (historically informed) performance of the original music can be heard here, conducted by John Eliot Gardiner: • Beethoven: Symphony no...
A wonderful performance of Beethoven’s Choral Fantasia of 1808 can be heard here, with Martha Argerich at the piano, conducted by the late Seji Ozawa: • Martha Argerich-Beetho...
#beethovensymphony #odetojoy #TheMusicProfessor
First time I listened to the 9th, I didn't realize it even started - sounded like the musicians were still tuning their instruments.
czcams.com/video/z0z19ZVBybM/video.htmlsi=LvQ1AKkDfX7WZAM0&t=60
Yes. Absolutely gorgeous and creative concept. Composers like Mahler (1st symphony) took inspiration from that. Really creates this "order out of chaos" image, like something from the primeval birth of the world
Yes please a second video and also an analysis of his 7th symphony would be nice. Thank you for the wonderful analysis today.
Maybe we can hope of analysis of all of B.'s symphonies, little by little?
Sorry, I became greedy. Ignore my comment. My excuse is that I love this stuff so much.
Excellent. We eagerly await episode 2 of "The 9th", the greatest soap opera ever written.
OK. The 9th Symphony Soap Opera must continue...
Please please do the whole work, it's one of the most amazing pieces of music in Western history and it deserves a deep dive.
Thanks for doing this!
As much as I love Schubert and Mozart, Beethoven will always be my number 1.
"He did a lot of crazy stuff to break up expectations" - and he did well.
All of the best composers break up expectations.
Greatest piece of music written to date along with the late quartets. The 9th always makes me cry with it's sheer beauty.
This channel is arguably one of the best things CZcams enabled
Thank you!
I remember listening to this symphony for the first time. Music appeared, out of nothing. Like a big bang. Later I imagined stars forming. The second movement has wonderful parts, like distant memories. Later, we are almost an hour in, man appears in the universe (with the singers) now being able to steer the fate of the cosmos, reaching out to god. The piece ends in rejoicing, in the now.
I'm not a formally trained musician, but the beginning sounds to me like the strings tuning, which creates a sense of anticipation that something great is about to start.
Exactly what I thought
Nice observation about the dotted rhythms of the Maestoso section of the Opus 111. C. Rosen wrote that the 1st movement of the Sonata is a "combination of fugue and sonata form" and that the Allegro con brio "starts with what is evidently a fugue theme". Thus the whole movement resembles a French overture.
Yes, that's right. Op 111 does the neo-Baroque thing a bit more strictly, but the two pieces are connected.
Really looking forward to the next video. And to the analysis of the second movment. And the first half of the 4th movement. How he starts with an explosion of sound with the whole orchestra. Like he's bashes himself in the head to get some melody, and the other movents try to squeese in, like "try me, try me" until the double basses takes command, and says; "How about this little tune" 😄In fact, I have different stories in each movement running in my head when I listen to them.
All true. It's fascinating isn't it!?
As someone who has learned to play violin, the opening of the 1st movement also invokes violins being tuned, which does add to the "primal" nature of the piece. And yes, I do want a 2nd episode, and more subsequent episodes until the final note of the symphony, one of my favorite pieces ever.
This is fantastic. Please do the subsequent movements.
This is just brilliant! Brilliant! Thank you! Can't wait for the next parts. Those fifths are chilling.
And just not to forget: Beethoven is the Mozart of music! So I am eagerly waiting for the second theme (and your next +22 episodes about the 9th symphony! :) )
Yes, yes, yes, please do continue. Simply wonderful. & the sound was spot on,
Thanks to Loki ❤❤
Please do the entire 9th! Love your presentation.
Thank you!
I would appreciate a full playlist of the 9th :)
Yes, please. More of your great analysis.
Very well presented. Thank you, and I'm looking forward to the next 'episode'.
Greatest symphony ever written
I always love listening to your insights (and the music, of course.)
Thank you Professor for another fascinating video! The reaching back of composers to baroque influences/styles reminds me of how Rock musicians so often refer back to and invoke the Blues and also how Rock itself emerged out the Blues by continually expanding its vocabulary.
Bravo! I look forward to the sequel!
I look forward to the next episode (and more?).
Please do a 2nd episode!
GEWELDIG...MANY THANKvS TO CZcams❤‼❤
Loved it. Looking forward to the whole series. Analysing and presenting the entire 9th definitely won't be an easy task, but I'm certain you'll be able to pull it off.
Speaking of Liszt's Beethoven symphony transcriptions, Konstantin Scherbakov's performance of the entire cycle is worth checking out IMO.
More! More!
First I appreciate how you identified that style as Toccata, I knew it was provoking something in me when Beethoven gets into that "mood," now I know it is resonating with Toccata and Fugue in D minor. Second, 14:09 I would say in the first movement he is retesting the past...with the intent to rejecting it in the beginning of the 4th movement then reincorporating it in a much more sublime way with the fugue of the 4th movement
Yes - that's a very interesting thought.
I was seven or eight years old when I first listened to Beethoven, and I have never stopped listening; I am now slightly older than he ever was (like you, Prof!). And I am totally fascinated by this Beethoven episode around his 9th symphony.
May I hereby ask, with dangerously maniacal eyes: Please. Do. Give us the rest! I mean it, sir!🎵
great video, Mathew is an very nice professor and personally this symphony is the one that made me realise that I wanted to be an orchestral conductor and love classical music, so it is very special to me.
And about the "open primal 5th", that's a think that Mahler wanted to comunicate in his first Symphony "Titan", with the pianissimo intensity, the birth and growing from the nothingness.
Yes indeed - Mahler 1 is an amazing opening isn't it!? If it's influenced by Beethoven, I'd say it's more like the opening of Beethoven 4...
Yes please make a second episode 🙏🏻
I really enjoyed this. I've always thought that even if the choral movement had not been included, the parts preceding it still would have been among the greatest music ever written.
Excellent video. I would love to see future parts of it. The 4th movement so often steals all the attention, so I love to see the rest of the work get the credit it deserves.
The 9th can be called Genesis....Being mysterious is not the same as romantical... Thank you.
Absolutely please for the love of god part 2
OK! It shall be done!
I'm going to the 9th today, I've never listened to it live!
Enjoy!
I did not want this to end. Thanks, and to Loki, as well, waiting for his walkies.
Yes - sometimes he does get a bit bored, but walkies does arrive in the end!
I think the reason Beethoven plays with musical structure is, it only becomes structure if it's conventional. By choosing to adjust cliché, you make music less accessible, but more individual. Regulating this experiment, I think, is the soul of classical style. 'Late' style doesn't give a flip about listener expectations: it knows what works. Holds true for Rachmaninov, too. Nice work, Professor: thank you!
I would love a full series breakdown on it!
More please!
Yes! Please do a deep dive on the entire work.
I often felt the very beginning with the 5ths reminded me of Creation itself, open to all possibilities, then the thundering theme is the voice of God full of terrifying and towering judgement as the unfathomable awesomeness of being is created. We mere humans can only bow in humility. And I’m not even religious!
I love that cabinet!!! Probably would cost over 10 thousand to get something like that these days. Haven't even seen one like that in the U.S. You have an office furniture treasure there.
Thank you. It use to belong to my parents. I think it was originally an apothecary's cabinet.
Well done. Thank you. Best wishes.
I recommend reading the so called Heiligenstadt Testament, witch is a letter, written 1802, from L. v. Beethoven to his brother Carl. The letter of a tormented soul, very moving.
Would love to have another episode on the 9th! Ta´hank you very much indeed anyway.
I'd like more of that! Yes, please.
Please, sir. I want some more.
perfect pronunciation!
The Tondichter! He knew the last wonder before the grave, he led captivity captive, and his courage and refusal to despair have saved countless numbers of those of us who have had to suffer.
Thanks, it's a nice symphony
Please keep going...
best music professor ever
YES!!! We need a deep dive on this entire piece. To just hear the backstory sent chills up my spine and the music sent chills towards my heart.
Very much looking forward to the rest of this series! Your videos are my favorite part of the week.
Wow! Thank you!
Yes. Please continue. Fascinating
so nice, thank you
Very good. Thanks! Several revelations for me.
Wonderful insight.
The combination of verbal explanation, illustration by playing Liszt's transcription, and annotated score is done so very well. Just watched the video for a second time, after listening to the orchestral version. There are elements that a non-professional like me would never fully get without this video, such as the introduction of D, the Neapolitan, and the reference to Handel. I'm very grateful, and I hope this video is going to be followed by many of its kind.
Thank you!
Yes please with a second! Love your videos!
Fantastic! Please make more.
Lovely presentation! I'm looking forward to the next installment(s)!
Thank you so much, Professor, for this in-depth analysis with insights and information that will enhance my understanding and enjoyment of this extraordinary piece of art.
Thank you!
Just a week ago, Australia’s ABC (the antipodean equivalent of the UK’s BBC) announced the results of a listener poll of the top 100 “feel good” works, spanning compositions from the baroque, classical and romantic eras, as well as opera, film scores, and some from popular and non-Western musical traditions. Beethoven’s 9th symphony was voted in first place. Is it a coincidence that Beethoven was born in 1770 - the same year that James Cook became the first European to set foot on the Eastern Coast of the Australian Continent?
Interesting coincidence!
if anyone is interested, you can get the full list by searching Google for “abc classic fm top 100 feel good”. The top 10 (in reverse order) were::
10. Leo Delibes: Lakmé
9. George Frideric Handel: Messiah, HWV 56
8. Edward Elgar: Enigma Variations, Op; 36
7. Karl Jenkins: The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace
6. Ralph Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
5. George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
4. Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73 'Emperor'
3. Georges Bizet: The Pearl Fishers
2. Gustav Holst: The Planets, Op. 32
1. Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 'Choral'
It’s funny, I watched another video on Beethoven‘s 9th recently that discussed the “der ganzen Welt” part of the libretto while showing a globe with Australia front and center. My first thought was, “Did Beethoven know Australia existed?”
Beethoven was part of the enlightenment period which was optimistic, so were Bach, Mozart, Haydn.
@@DeflatingAtheism
The existence of the Australian continent (or “great Southern land”) - though not its exact size and shape - was certainly known in Europe before Cook’s voyage, since the Dutch discovered the West coast of Australia centuries earlier, and had even reached Tasmania (Van Diemen’s Land, as they called it.)
But the real question is whether Beethoven’s education was sufficiently broad to cover world geography. We tend to assume that, because Beethoven was a musical genius, he was probably also well-read and well-informed in other fields of knowledge. But his formal education was negligible, and it is doubtful whether he ever read a book that was not a musical score, or an anthology of poetry which could be set to music.
Could listen for hours just going into detail about symphonic works, especially Beethoven. Love that you go over history too! I feel that's integral to get a full picture of the music! 😊
Thank you!
Thank you for taking a fresh look at the Ninth.
Funny, but the beginning reminds me of the Matrix's Red Pill vs Blue Pill; the red pill (1st theme) and blue pill (2nd) being metaphorical terms representing a choice between the willingness to learn a potentially unsettling or life-changing truth ( taking the "red pill") or remaining in the contented experience of ordinary reality with the "blue pill" (the pleasure principle).
I'd also like to hear how Beethoven transforms these themes, because so often we're preoccupied with ‘materials,’ i.e., chords, rhythms, instrumentation. These things matter, of course, but in the hierarchy of music, they are nowhere near the top.
The most important thing, in my view, at least, is not the materials, it’s the transformation of those materials over time. It’s the story. That’s what listeners respond to. Where Beethoven exercises his individuality and produces a distinctive piece of music is in the trajectory of his materials: what happens. So could you cover a little of that, too, please?
Interesting thought!
I would watch a full series just of the 9th, great content!
Great presentation and analysis - thanks to your very active assistant;-)
Looking forward to the next part!
Thank you. Fascinating and moving.
Yes please continue - this is fascinating
When he presented the Eroica, that was already the greatest symphony that had ever been composed. After that, only he could beat it. Since then, the Symphony has become a footnote to Beethoven.
Well - perhaps a bit more than a footnote! It has got some of his greatest music in it. (czcams.com/video/uztVKbVwmx4/video.htmlsi=Wf0IJPszEYcu1vmj)
@@themusicprofessor ☺
Thanks, I do love Liszt's transcriptions. A pity we don't have recordings of this reputed greatest of all piano virtuosos.
He's the master! Horowitz thought them the best piano works of all (“I deeply regret never having played Liszt's arrangements of the Beethoven symphonies in public - these are the greatest works for the piano - tremendous works - every note of the symphonies is in the Liszt works.”) He would have had to be about 120 years old to get a decent recording of him. Sad that we don't have Busoni either. This recording by one of Liszt's pupils gives an indication possibly...a wonderful sound: czcams.com/video/JJpNC0js0u8/video.html
@@themusicprofessor I agree, his transcriptions are masterful, not just of Beethoven but Berlioz and Wagner, etc. I suppose the students do give an indication of how the maestro might've performed, but we are left all the poorer for not having Liszt and Chopin and so many others on record. And yet, what we have is the compositions at least. And therein is their immortality. I'm sure you've seen this but going to post for those who haven't czcams.com/video/pnSBQVRDbdw/video.html&ab_channel=DanieleDerelli
Of course we like it. It's Beethoven's 9th. What's not to like? ;)
I would love a second episode :)))
The analysis reminded me of a passage of Adorno in which he says how Beethoven incorporated a triplet, mostly baroque motive in its late piano sonatas... Great video!
Thank you! Adorno does say a lot of interesting things about late Beethoven. He also says some very odd things (he describes the 9th symphony as essentially a middle period work which I cannot agree with!)
In case nobody has said it yet: your pronunciation of "Theater am Kärtnertor" was very good!
Liszt was superb at arranging works for piano, I'm impressed every time.
(and yes, a second part would be great!)
Thank you! Yes, I've mentioned in a comment below that Horowitz said, "“I deeply regret never having played Liszt's arrangements of the Beethoven symphonies in public - these are the greatest works for the piano - tremendous works - every note of the symphonies is in the Liszt works.”
@@themusicprofessor It‘s something funny I noticed while listening to the Lizst transcriptions… a piano transcription of an orchestral Beethoven sonata-allegro movement… doesn’t sound like a Beethoven piano sonata!
No, it really doesn't. I've never been convinced by the old argument that Beethoven's big piano sonatas (e.g. Hammerklavier) seem orchestral. Actually, I think they're profoundly pianistic. The miracle of Liszt's transcriptions is that he somehow turns orchestral music into absolutely convincing piano music.
such a great video! I attended a performance of the liszt transcription on the day of the anniversary, but of course it was impossible to catch the little moments like that "tritone substitution" you talked about here! the soap opera format is great, if it gives you the time to go into such detail like this. looking forward to more :)
I wonder how vital undamaged sound hearing is to a musician's career? I'd say very much so. It determines how high up in the harmonic series they are able to operate on, creating those luscious tone colors & harmonies. Of course Beethoven was already a master musician when his began to fail.
What I want to know is how Beethoven managed to coach his nephew’s piano practice with failing hearing.
23:00
Yes, we want it!
Brilliant presentation. Hope you continue with this!
Very interesting analysis, thank you. I really would like to hear this series continue. My favourite part of the first movement is the beginning of the development where he starts to shift the key of the opening, just before the bassoon solo.
Yes! That's an inspired passage - with those magical shifts of harmony and the pp off-beat timps
Looking forward to part 2!
To paraphrase Oliver Twist "Please, sir, may I have some more?"
Awesome! Second part, please.
Very good! Encore!
Keep going! This is amazing:O
That was a great analysis sir.
Very nice. Your enthusiasm, combined with depth of knowledge, makes an irresistible presentation. More, please!
I was delighted that you spoke of the harmonic series, something many skilled musicians know nothing about. Do you have any experience with music tuned in Just Intonation?
I do, and I'm fascinated by these issues as a composer, although I don't consider myself in any way an expert on intonation.
Yes please continue. But.. please slow down the speed of your explenations. For me as a non acedemic music lover it is difficult to follow although I understand to listen to the music professor. Thanks for your great piece of work.
Thank you. Sometimes the speed is regulated by the fact that I try to fit everything into about 20 minutes which isn't always easy!
Awesome video.
Yes, yes. Encore, encore. 😅
Thanks!
Thank you so much!
Pls review the fugue of development section and the coda of the 1st Movment of 9th symphony.
OK!
This 'indepth analysis' is excellent, for those of you out there who want to watch some content more similar to this informative video, i recommend the beethoven symphony analysis series on '"Chairat Chongvattanakij" channel on youtube.
This will be SO interesting and helpful to hear the next part. I’ve played music through school and then studied guitar after college. I have to say, honestly, that I really don’t get turned on by “classical” music. It just doesn’t land anywhere. Part of the reason is that we went from this great, strong opening to what looks to be this frilly little section about to come up. And, with not enough information to set “me” up to want to flip to it. So, I’m very intrigued to learn more and see if I can’t develop an appreciation. But, looking at this as more of a story (as you said!) almost like the movie could be in your mind while the orchestra plays the soundtrack perhaps is the right way to experience s symphony-as opposed to listening to a song.
Thank you!
I'll try to explain the "frilly section"! The classical tradition, from which Beethoven came, established a symphonic argument through the contrast of thematic material. They would normal start with an assertive theme to establish the tonality, and then contrast that with more lyrical material (usually in the dominant key). This contrast of themes, characters and tonalities becomes the basis for dramatic development and finally recapitulation and reconcilliation of themes. It is very like a drama, or like a philosophical argument. You start out with oppositions, you exploit and develop the tensions and then you reconcile them at the end.
@@themusicprofessor Thank You! I will endeavor to put myself in the mins of the listener back then. Adding the detail of everyone in their furs huddled for hours was really so helpful to draw the students into the story of the music. The “sheet music” is so great. 3 way teaching!
More!
This video was amazing, Counting the days until the next one! 🙏👍
Continue, please!!!!!