Beethoven, Symphony No. 9: After 20 years in the making, Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 was first performed in 1824. Uniquely, it was the first work in history to include a chorus and four soloists. It also features text from the German poet Friedrich von Schiller’s Ode to Joy. To date, it is still one of the most recognized classical melodies. The following analysis is based upon the 4th movement of the Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D minor. The 4th movement opens with a flurry of sound and then an instrumental recitative is introduced. Recitative is a free improvisatory melody. In this style, the piece’s recitative is song-like and gives the impression that all of the string instruments are playing the exact same rhythm, but at different …show more content…
Opera recitative is commonly used when the singer is narrating or during dialogue. Instead of following a musical rhythm, a vocal recitative follows the rhythm of natural speech. An instrumental recitative is an improvisatory melody performed by an instrument. Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 uses instrumental recitative as a preliminary to the opera recitative. The instruments are able to tell their own story leading up to the choir’s Ode to Joy. I interpret the instrumental recitative as progressive. The recitative at the beginning sounds heavy, the key sounds minor, the bow strokes are hard-pressed, and the melody cautiously plods forward. My interpretation is that by using lower notes on all of the instruments with heavy bow strokes, Beethoven is trying to convey a chaotic and perhaps malevolent force.
From the video, it appears that the cellos (and basses) start the famous Ode to Joy theme followed by the addition of the violas and bassoons. Each additional instrument adds more dramatization to the piece. All of the instruments in harmony create a bellowing, triumphant sound. As if the orchestra was not enough on its own, Beethoven’s movement moved into uncharted