The Ninth Symphony by Beethoven appears to be one of the most popular and central pieces of art, particularly in the Western Music Industry. The magnificent composition of this piece by Beethoven is basically a symbol indicating the end of all symphonies. It appears that Beethoven’s intention was to reflect, mirror and signify significant values of the then Western society. The Ninth Symphony also creates a feeling of hope and fear for individuals that have a higher level of understanding of such 19th century musical composition. There were various symphonies performed in 1824; most of these performances were eclectic. However, the Ninth Symphony seems to be an inspirational symbol. In fact, many commentators and interpreters believe the one of Beethoven’s objectives was to inspire the 19th Century generation through this composition. Some critics believed that the Ninth Symphony was also an indication of the fact that Beethoven had impeccable technical composition skills as well as demands.
This composition, characterized by idealism in its choral structure could signify how Beethoven was a genius in the musical industry. In fact, critics such as Hector Berlioz argued that the Ninth Symphony also indicated Beethoven’s desire to express his utopian as well as humanist ideologies. I think that the manner in which Beethoven organized various tunes through this single composition triggered the methodologies applicable in the current musical analysis processes. That is, the high level of skill expressed in this composition acts as a standard or center of reference for the analysis of other musical compositions. The tunes, characterized by the mixture of high and low tunes in the composition enhance imagination; besides, it signifies the mastery through which the work was composed. I think that, it stimulates a feeling of emotional hope for listeners.
Listening to the Ninth Symphony, the other issue that emerges is the manipulative nature of the composition. I must admit the other intention of Beethoven in the composition of the piece was to manipulate his audience through a more or less savoury composition. The manipulative nature of the Ninth Symphony is also a symbol of humanity; it elicits humanist emotions and it appears that this was the intention of Beethoven. It is imperative to acknowledge that early 19th century was characterized by dictatorial leadership regimes, hence, the emergence of humanistic musical compositions such as the Ninth Symphony were appreciated and positively received by a significant number of audiences, and particularly those had desires for proper leadership structures from their governments. However, I must also acknowledge that the manner in which individuals or the 19th century understood and viewed the Ninth Symphony depended of their perspectives towards the then Elysium. The length and the characteristics of the Ninth Symphony such as the application of diverse, yet soothing tunes also elicits imaginations regarding events that occurred in the last 200 years. Listening to the Ninth Composition, any individual with adequate knowledge concerning symphonic compositions will identify that it reveals a mixture of themes such as the Joy and Ode themes. It is also characterized with pre-figured tunes in all the three movements; this feature is also evident in the finale which its logical end. Beethoven’s words, for example, O Friends, also seem to supersede the overall orchestra.
There are also other two critical issues that listeners may identify from this composition. Firstly, the fact that there is a constant musical trajectory; besides, one can identify the fact that the musical trajectory is similar to the emotional narrative stimulated in the composition. This feature has also evident in other symphonic compositions that were made in the early and late 19th century such as Eroica Symphony among others. Many of such symphonic compositions were played in funerals for instance during the burial of Napoli and other key leaders of during this century (Bosch, Juan, Marxer, and Gómez, 104). Through the Ninth Symphony, one can also identify that Beethoven had social as well as dramatic visions. On the other hand, the ninth symphony through the integration of creep and crash, dissonant sounds and certain aspects of orchestral indicates a positive presentation of musical plasma that dominated the 19th century. Consequently, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony induces serenely imaginations as Beethoven integrates certain dramatic contrasts in the composition.
In summary, the Ninth Symphony could be classified as one of the pieces that broke record by creating a paradigm shift from the normal Western Classical music compositions. In fact, I think this magnificent piece of symphonic composition superseded the monolithic compositions of the late 18th century and the early 19th century. I must admit that it is a large and lengthy piece of musical composition, considering that it was recorded for more than one hour; this is an extra-ordinary feature. I think the other extra-ordinary feature of the Ninth Symphony is that Beethoven managed to incorporate a chorus in this abnormally composition; other researchers have argued that this was quite unorthodox, yet instrumental (Bosch, Juan, Marxer, and Gómez, 106). This is one of the symphonic compositions that have been subjected to high levels of criticism; however, it has managed to withstand both negative and positive criticism over time.
Work Cited
Bosch Vicente, Juan José, Ricard Marxer Piñón, and Emilia Gómez. "Evaluation and combination of pitch estimation methods for melody extraction in symphonic classical music." Journal of New Music Research. 2016; 45 (2): 101-17 (2016).
