Beethoven's 9th

Beethoven’s 9th Symphony
Notes

Writing of Symphony:
Beethoven’s Life
• Symphony No.9 in D minor was his last symphony
• 12 years after his previous symphony
• Lived through three major life crisis o End of romance
 “immortal beloved”, an unknown woman
 Identified as Antonie Brentano by Maynard Soloman
 1811, dedicated “An die Geliebte” to her
 Beethoven often rejected by women, sought unavailable women
 Send Antonie letting proclaiming he was unable to enter lasting relationship
 Reduced his productivity o Inability to create family
 Tried to obtain guardianship of his nephew Karl
 Obtained full custody after years of struggle
 Pretended to be natural father
 No parenting skill and deaf, Karl felt misunderstood and repressed
 Karl attempted suicide
 Recovered and worked with Beethoven on meter markings for the 9th, then enlisted in army o Total loss of hearing
 Unable to hear conversation partners in 1818(in his 40s)
 Clinically deaf, experiments with cures and hearing aids(ex. Ear trumpets)
 Withdrew from society
 Used conversation books to communicate
• 125 survive, originally over 400
• One-sided conversations
• Many removed by Anton Schindler, his assistant o Loyal but vain and foolish o Beethoven’s spokesperson after death
• Stylistic Crisis o Expanded Viennese style of Mozart and Haydn o By 1812, felt had expressed all artistic potential of Viennese style o Works had tentative experimental air o Revised old works and rearranged folk songs for George Thomson o 1818, completed pieces that defied “classical” or “romantic” labels

Other Important People
• Chose his friend Ignaz Schuppanzign to lead violins
• Conductor: Michael Umlauf o Concept of conductor was fairly new o Instructed performers to ignore Beethoven
• Theater Manager: Louis Deport o Convinced Beethoven needed to help with direction
• Soprano: Henriette Sonntag, Alto: Karoline Unger o Turned Beethoven around to face audience