Beethoven Symphony No. 9

The orchestra used for the premiere of Symphony No. 9 was the largest orchestra assembled for any of Beethoven’s works and this made the masterpiece even more majestic and a force to be reckoned with. The instrumentation used for Symphony No. 9 included: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in A, 2 clarinets in B-flat, 2 clarinets in C, 2 bassoons, 2 Horns (1 and 2) in D and B-flat, 2 Horns (3 and 4) in B-flat (bass), B-flat and E-flat, 2 Trumpets in D and B-flat, 3 Trombones (alto, tenor, and bass; second and fourth movements only), violins I, II, viola, cello and double bass. Beethoven included the piccolo, contrabassoon, bass drum, triangle, cymbals, soprano solo, alto solo, tenor solo, baritone solo and soprano, alto, tenor and bass (SATB) choir

9 in D minor opus 125, represents the height of Beethoven’s creativity and intelligence and in a sense can be regarded as a culmination of the trauma he endured because of his loss of hearing. Furthermore, the work is a very powerful force and especially if it is experienced live. One understands and appreciates the sheer genius that was Ludwig van Beethoven and this work, even though it is over 190 years old, is still able to resonate with audiences all over the world. The last movement is one of my favourite pieces of music to listen to and analyse because of the emotional, creative and intellectual thinking it entails. The recording I listened to was the Folsom Symphony and Sacramento Master Singers "Glorious Beethoven" March 25, 2012. Beethoven Symphony No.9 "Choral" Movement IV. Michael Neumann, Folsom Symphony Music Director & Conductor. Soloists: Robin Fisher, Soprano; Buffy Baggott, Mezzo soprano; Jaeho Lee, tenor; Burr Phillips, Bass. Chorus: Sacramento Master Singers with American River College Chamber Choir. Dr. Ralph Hughes, Music Director. Folsom, California. I chose this one to write on because not many orchestras achieve the meaning of the music but this orchestra came very close to interpreting this beautiful and powerful piece of

The melodies in The Magic Flute always linger on hours after I have listened to them. What is more, the conductor of the version I listened to, Riccardo Muti and the Wiener Philharmoniker excellently executed performance of this beautiful,masterful work. Lastly, The Magic Flute contains one of my favourite arias ever written because of how dramatic it is but more importantly how technically demanding it is and it is none other than the famous Queen of the Night aria (translated to English), ‘Hell’s Vengeance Boils In My Heart’ and specifically the version sung by Edita