Friday, May 22, 2009

Beethoven's 9th Symphony

Keyword analysis entry #2: Beethoven's 9th

I cannot believe that I am getting hits from the simple search "beethovens 9th." You'd think there would be about a million music sites vying for the opportunity to tell about one of the most famous pieces of music in the world. Nevertheless...

Beethoven's 9th symphony (aka Symphony No. 9 in D minor) is one of the single best-known and most recognized pieces of classical music. Beethoven's last symphony, it was composed after his hearing loss had become complete. It is the choral section, commonly referred to as "The Ode to Joy", that is perhaps most memorable to the average listener.

Because many symphonic music directors are loath to overplay the "big hits", Beethoven's 9th is usually reserved for special occasions such as the winter holidays, the 4th of July, or other events. This piece is considered by many to be very accessible for listeners who are new to the genre of classical music. What do you think Symphony Club? Does that about cover it?

1 comment:

Raymond said...

I remember being confused by the first movement when I first heard it, but then again I was young and didn't know much about music.