Beethoven's Ninth
12/26/07
A crowning achievement for Western Civilization, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is certainly one of the most important pieces of classical music in the world. It is one of my very favorites. The Ninth symphony puts me in a place no other piece of music puts me. It's all life's regrets, all its joys, and all its limitations in one. For me, it's absolutely terrifying, compressing one's entire life into roughly one hour. I want to be the subject of the ending chorus, and yet I envision it being sung as my redemption for a life poorly lived. As I listen, I am reduced to tears; it is music for which to die for.
It was Beethoven’s last symphony, conducted while totally deaf, and yet it is perfection. There are many versions; I vastly prefer the 1948 NBC broadcast with Arturo Tuscanini as conductor. You can watch Maestro’s performance on Youtube.
Nonetheless, it is still limited by being made of human. In a sense, its infinite joy only makes more evident our mortality and humanity. I think of this piece as one of the few that would do humanity proud if aliens uncover it.