Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 & Coriolan Overture

Beethoven's 9th Symphony was written at the time Beethoven himself was stone-deaf, but what a piece it is. In this recording, we have Gundula Janowitz, Hilde Rössel-Majdan, Waldemar Kmentt and Walter Berry as the soloists, the Vienna Singverein Chorus, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the conductor is Herbert von Karajan.

## Beethoven's Coriolan Overture

Beethoven's Coriolan Overture Op. 62, is a composition written in 1807 for Heinrich Joseph von Collin's 1804 tragedy Coriolan.

The structure and themes of the overture follow the play very generally. The main C minor theme represents Coriolanus' resolve and war-like tendencies (he is about to invade Rome), while the more tender E-flat major theme represents the pleadings of his mother to desist. Coriolanus eventually gives in to tenderness, but since he cannot turn back having led an army of his former enemies to Rome's gates, he kills himself. (This differs from the better-known play *Coriolanus* by William Shakespeare, in which he is murdered. Both Shakespeare's and Collin's plays are about the same semi-legendary figure, Gaius Marcius Coriolanus, whose actual fate was not recorded.)

The overture was premiered in March 1807 at a private concert in the home of Prince Franz Joseph von Lobkowitz. The Symphony No. 4 in B-flat and the Piano Concerto No. 4 in G were premiered at the same concert.

### Instrumentation

The piece is scored for the following: 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets in Bb, 2 Bassoons, 2 French Horns in Eb, 2 Trumpets in C, Timpani and Strings.

## Beethoven's 9th Symphony

Beethoven's 9th Symphony in D minor, Op. 125, is a choral symphony, his final complete symphony, composed between 1822 and 1824. It was first performed in Vienna on 7 May 1824. The symphony is regarded by many critics and musicologists as Beethoven's greatest work and one of the supreme achievements in the history of music. One of the best-known works in common practice music, it stands as one of the most performed symphonies in the world.
The symphony was the first example of a major composer using voices in a symphony. The words are sung during the final (4th) movement of the symphony by four vocal soloists and a chorus. They were taken from the "Ode to Joy", a poem written by Friedrich Schiller in 1785 and revised in 1803, with text additions made by Beethoven.

In 2001, Beethoven's original, hand-written manuscript of the score, held by the Berlin State Library, was added to the Memory of the World Programme Heritage list established by the United Nations, becoming the first musical score so designated.

### Instrumentation

The piece is scored for the following: Piccolo (fourth movement only), 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets in A, Bb and C, 2 Bassoons, Contrabassoon (fourth movement only), 4 Horns in D, Bb and Eb, 2 Trumpets in D and Bb, 3 Trombones (alto, tenor and bass; second and fourth movements only), Timpani, Bass drum (fourth movement only), Triangle (fourth movement only), Cymbals (fourth movement only), Voices (fourth movement only) and Strings.

### Movements

The movements are named as follows:

1. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
2. Molto vivace
3. Adagio molto e cantabile
4. Presto - "O Freunde, nicht diese Töne" - Allegro assai (Final Chorus from Schiller's "Ode to Joy")

### Text of the fourth movement

*Sondern laßt uns angenehmere anstimmen,*
*und freudenvollere.*
*Let us instead strike up more pleasing*
 *Freude!*
*Freude!*
 Freude, schöner Götterfunken
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische, dein Heiligtum!
Deine Zauber binden wieder
Was die Mode streng geteilt;
Alle Menschen werden Brüder,
Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.
Daughter from Elysium,
We enter, burning with fervour,
heavenly being, your sanctuary!
Your magic brings together
what custom has sternly divided.
All men shall become brothers,
 Wem der große Wurf gelungen,
Eines Freundes Freund zu sein;
Wer ein holdes Weib errungen,
Mische seinen Jubel ein!
Ja, wer auch nur eine Seele
Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund!
Und wer's nie gekonnt, der stehle
Weinend sich aus diesem Bund!
to become a friend to a friend,
Whoever has found a beloved wife,
let him join our songs of praise!
Yes, and anyone who can call one soul
his own on this earth!
Any who cannot, let them slink away
 Freude trinken alle Wesen
An den Brüsten der Natur;
Alle Guten, alle Bösen
Folgen ihrer Rosenspur.
Küsse gab sie uns und Reben,
Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod;
Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben,
Und der Cherub steht vor Gott.
at nature's breast;
Good and Evil alike
follow her trail of roses.
She gives us kisses and wine,
a true friend, even in death;
Even the worm was given desire,
 Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen
Durch des Himmels prächt'gen Plan,
Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn,
Freudig, wie ein Held zum Siegen.
through the glorious universe,
So you, brothers, should run your course,
 Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Brüder, über'm Sternenzelt
Muß ein lieber Vater wohnen.
Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen?
Ahnest du den Schöpfer, Welt?
Such' ihn über'm Sternenzelt!
Über Sternen muß er wohnen.
This kiss is for the whole world!
Brothers, above the canopy of stars
must dwell a loving father.
Do you bow down before Him, you millions?
Do you sense your Creator, O world?
Seek Him above the canopy of stars!
He must dwell beyond the stars.

### Reception

Music critics almost universally consider the Ninth Symphony one of Beethoven's greatest works, and among the greatest musical works ever written. The finale, however, has had its detractors: "early critics rejected [the finale] as cryptic and eccentric, the product of a deaf and ageing composer." Verdi admired the first three movements but lamented the confused structure and the bad writing for the voices in the last movement:

The alpha and omega is Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, marvellous in the first three movements, very badly set in the last. No one will ever approach the sublimity of the first movement, but it will be an easy task to write as badly for voices as in the last movement. And supported by the authority of Beethoven, they will all shout: "That's the way to do it..."

—  Giuseppe Verdi, 1878

## Links

For the playlist of the album, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQVGNtqr9gw&list=PLchYxGOLjev-YPNpOtj4aGgHP477GEpNp&index=2

For more details on the album, click here: https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/beethoven-symphony-no-9-karajan-1962-4125

For the official Deutsche Grammophon website, click here: https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en

## Notes

* Art Direction - Hartmut Pfeiffer
* Baritone - Walter Berry
* Choir - Vienna Singverein
* Chorus Master - Reinhold Schmid
* Composer - Ludwig van Beethoven
* Conductor - Herbert von Karajan
* Contralto - Hilde Rössel-Majdan
* Engineer - Günter Hermanns
* Executive-Producers - Elsa Schiller, Otto Gerdes
* Liner Notes - Mary Whittall, Peter Cossé, Gabriele Cervone
* Orchestra - Berlin Philharmonic
* Photographer - Siegfried Lauterwasser
* Producers - Otto Gerdes, Otto Ernst Wolhert
* Soprano - Gundula Janowitz
* Tenor - Waldemar Kmentt
* Text by - Friedrich Schiller
* Sound - Stereo
* Recording dates - October 1962 (9th Symphony), 1966 (Coriolan)
* Recording venue - Berlin, Jesus-Christus Kirche
* Total duration - 75'58